A Cool, Soft Place
by Damagedgirl
Summary: Set after book 8, Sookie plays matchmaker to Vampire Bill after she tried to secure a Viking herself. Will her choice be the best? ESN fic, w/Lemony Goodness Mature content
1. Chapter 1

**Things I Don't Own:** Southern Vampire Series and its characters no matter how many attempts I've made to just borrow a certain blonde Viking.

**Things I Do Own:** A cat that my family claims I love more than any human, a set of CH books from Target, and a craving for a glass of good wine that I need to take care of.

**Song That Inspired this Chapter:** Little Conversations by Concrete Blonde (obviously) and Strange Attraction by The Cure

**A/N:** Thanks brought to **Southernlady2323** by our favorite blonde Viking on a silver platter. I appreciate her acceptance to be my Beta and she and I are going to rock this Southern style!

**Chapter 1**

SPOV

* * *

Excerpt, Dead And Gone, by Charlaine Harris, Book 9, page 3 (hardback)

_I switched off the television and tied my other shoe, shaking my head at American's new addiction to vampire "reality" shows. I got my red coat out of the closet. The sight of it reminded me that I myself had some absolutely real problems with a vampire; in the two and a half months since the takeover of the Louisiana vampire kingdom by the vampires of Nevada, Eric Northman had been fully occupied with consolidating his position within the new regime and evaluating what was left of the old. _

_We were way overdue for a chitchat about Eric's newly recovered memories of our strange and intense time together when he'd temporarily misplaced his memory due to a spell.  


* * *

_I just didn't have time to worry about that right now. I gathered my things, locked the door, and jumped in my car hoping I wouldn't be late. Lord knows Arlene is late often enough for all of us. As I started my car, I leaned over, pulled the portable CD player out from under the passenger seat, and inserted the cassette adapter in to my radio. I don't know how people live without music. I grabbed the CD that Pam had given me one night at Fangtasia that was filled with music she was trying to get me to enjoy because she said the whiny stuff we called Country music in the South was ear splitting.

As much as I hated to admit it, I liked a lot of the music she'd put on the CD, especially a band called Concrete Blonde. I began to sing along to one of their songs I especially liked called "Joey." I suspected Pam was not as hard as that thick layer of veneer she put off for every one. I started to feel like I was shaking the negative thoughts in my head and prepared myself to smile and serve food and drinks at work tonight; heck maybe I'll even talk myself into enjoying it.

I had to hand it to Eric's child, she was sure full of surprises, and I suspected she was. The quiet chords of the ballad "Little Conversations" begin to play and Johnette Napolitano's smoky voice filled my car.

* * *

_The Little Conversation is over very soon,  
and I watch in admiration from my corner of the room.  
They shine on you with starry eyes  
They rain a friendly storm like kids around a Christmas tree  
and then you smile all nice and warm._

* * *

This song reminded me of an impending conversation with a certain blonde hunky vamp. I couldn't stop thinking of Mr. Brooding Fang in Shreveport, and this simultaneously stirred so many feelings deep inside me that I wasn't sure if things would turn out how I hoped. I didn't even hope for the things that I had been dreaming of when it came to Eric.

_

* * *

The Little Conversations if I tried my very best  
You know I never could say anything in twenty words or less__  
Somewhere, sometime, down the line someday  
I may confess, and tell you all, that's all._

* * *

At some point, I realized things would finally calm down at Fangtasia and I would find a way to have a real conversation with Eric about what happened between us, so I could put this all behind me. I knew Eric, and I was confident that he could never, in his normal mind, have any true feelings for me.

Even though there was a brief period where he felt safe with me, and he was truly the perfect man that loved me. I knew that person wasn't the real Eric. Although he looked like Eric and sounded like Eric—the sheriff of Area 5—he was under the effect of a powerful witch's spell. Now that I'd saved him and we'd all survived the Witch War, the spell was removed. He was back to the Eric that looked at me as some thing that he could use to benefit him.

I knew the Eric that was quiet and often cryptic. He sometimes left me reeling because I felt that I had missed something really important in his words. Now that all had been said and done, that only reason he kept in contact with me because…well because Sam and I had saved his ass and somehow managed to save the new King of Louisiana in the employee parking lot of Merlotte's.

The King had granted me formal protection and of course, this was Eric's problem since he was the Sheriff of Area 5. This edict didn't seem to not bother Eric because first of all, he liked to use me to get info out of humans and second, he had always been a little intrigued by my telepathy and the way I wove in and out of the Supernatural world with ease. I don't think it helped my situation that he wanted to do things to me that were probably illegal when he was human and then some.

_

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The Little Conversations on me are very rough.__  
They leave me all in pieces you know there's never time enough__  
Like a book with missing pages like a story incomplete__  
Like a painting left unfinished it feels like not enough to eat.  
Starvin'_

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I hated to admit even to myself, that I really didn't care to be involved with humans. The peace I felt when I was with a vampire was almost a religious experience in itself. The quiet in my mind when I was with Bill was one of the things that made me fall so hard for him. Now that I've had time to recover from knowing the truth about Bill meeting me, I felt a little better thinking that a large part of my attraction to him was, quiet literally, the peace of mind I had being around him.

Unfortunately for him, shortly after meeting him, I met other vampires, and learned it wasn't Bill whose mind was quiet to my telepathic ability, it was all vampires.

_

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These little conversations well for me they'll never do  
now what am I supposed to do with broken sentences of you?  
I'll stay in my corner `cause that's all that I can do and let the others speak for me._

* * *

I pulled in to the parking lot and thought about my very limited experience in love and how my relationships were pretty much all with vampires. The peace I felt around their minds was central to how I began to develop feelings about them, but I had no understanding of why Bill ever wanted me. I felt like I was more of an employee to Eric (except for those few days while I was hiding him) and it really bothered me that I couldn't seem to get more than a little conversation out of Eric or Bill for that matter, as neither wanted to have a heart-to-heart with the little human.

I found myself feeling a little sorry for Bill, as he was sincere in his attempts to return to my good graces. Although I could appreciate the sentiment, I just couldn't seem to feel the way I had once felt about him. Although he didn't see it this way, he never even attempted to be honest with me about things that may have been hard for me to accept or have scared the pants right off of me.

Eric was painfully honest with me whenever I asked him something and it was as if he didn't have any humanity left in him at all. That was what terrified me the most about him, and even though I felt this way, I couldn't help it when my heart sped up at just the thought of him.

I stepped out of my car and began walking to the employee entrance of Merlotte's and knew I had to pack up all these thoughts and put them in my "To Be Continued" folder in my mind. No answers to any of these questions would come to me while I was doing my job this evening, so all of this needed to be pushed off until I could sit and think. All of this needed to be pushed off until I could find a soft, cool place to think.

**

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A/N:** Ok, that's done. This is the first chapter of my first FanFic ever and it felt a little like giving birth ya'll! But you know what they say about child birth, you forget the pain, right? As a mother I think that is so false but maybe I'll go with it this time.

**Next chapter:** Pam and Bill will meet so Pam can give Bill a reality check and of course she's running around following her Master's orders. Will it be the Pam we are used to or will the elusive vampires surprise us?

Please review and give me your thoughts! I will try to answer all questions and know that this story is centrally about Eric and Sookie but as I write it, there will be some curve balls I throw your way. I promise zesty lemons in future chapters!


	2. Chapter 2

**Things I Don't Own:** A rockin' bar called Fangtasia, fang-bangers to do my bidding, an affinity for synthetic blood, or the Southern Vampire Series and its characters.

**Things I Do Own:** A 30GB Zune that isn't even half full, a decent tan, and a set of perfectly pedicured toes painted in Linkin Park After Dark by OPI.

**Songs That Inspired this Chapter:** Only Happy When It Rains by Garbage, The Background by Third Eye Blind, Winter by Tori Amos

**Gobs of Thanks:** Thanks hand delivered by a shirtless Eric go to LuLu, for pushing me to try this, I don't remember the last time I've had so much fun. Also give **Southernlady23** a shot of Mr. January without that strategically placed thumb as he sat in Bill's bathtub on True Blood last season. Her greatness and southern hospitality is something even Gran would be proud of!

_**

* * *

I stepped out of my car and began walking to the employee entrance of Merlotte's and knew I had to pack up all these thoughts and put them in my "To Be Continued" folder in my mind. No answers to any of these questions would come to me while I was doing my job this evening, so all of this needed to be pushed off until I could sit and think. All of this needed to be pushed off until I could find a soft, cool place to think.**_

**

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Chapter 2**

Omnipotent POV

[**En route to Bon Temps**]

Pam, Eric's child and Second-in-Command, was driving towards Bon Temps. Eric had asked her to come out and talk to Sookie about coming to Shreveport to see him after work tonight. The 1,000 year old Viking knew Sookie was wondering where the revelation of him remembering their time at her quaint house before the Witch War left the two of them. Sookie was uneasy at best and he wanted to put an end to the worry she was suffering not knowing if he would hold it against her in some way.

However, Pam had decided to try and kill two birds with one stone in the drive out to Bon Temps. She planned to stop by Bill's on her way to see Sookie and make sure Bill understood his losses when it came to this blonde human. She felt bad for a brief moment thinking so little of Sookie, and her instincts were telling her she needed to correct that. After all, Sookie Stackhouse was a strong and fairly impressive human.

The southern telepath had proven what she was made of many times over to everyone in the Supe world all the way up to the Queen. Even the new King was indebted to her, although if Felipe de Castro could find a way for her to be more useful to him in Vegas, he would do it. If Sookie doesn't understand just how valuable of a commodity she was then someone, like Pam, would let her in on that little secret.

Even though Sookie was overly concerned about Eric's emotional feelings towards her, she needed to consider where she would inevitably end up if deciding that Eric isn't the best choice for her. Pam's phone rang and brought her back to the hum of the road. She braced herself for the more unpleasant part of her evening tasks. Without giving her caller even a moment to speak she got to business.

"Bill, I need to talk with you and I am almost in Bon Temps, can I come by your house?"

"Well of course Pam, Eric knows I am always available should I be needed…"

"Bill, this isn't business for Eric. It's time you understood a few things from a woman's perspective and not from a woman of your time."

For a moment all that the cool, beautiful vampiress heard from the phone was the whirring of a ceiling fan in Bill's run down plantation home.

"Pam, if you are coming to tell me to leave Sookie alone then you are wasting your time. I am going to continue to watch over her and I will wait until enough time has passed for her to forgive me for Lorena and for the fact that I was first sent to her by Sophie. You know that it was beyond my control to deny these things."

Pam rolled her eyes and said, "Bill shut up. I'll be there in ten minutes and we will talk then."

Pam dropped the cell phone in to her bag on the passenger seat and gripped the leather steering wheel of her Meteor Gray Audi TT Coupe. She really loved this car and how it hugged the road as she shifted. She had purchased it with the money Eric had given her for the Fangtasia calendar idea.

Of course, it had turned out to be a lucrative deal, and Pam was sure her $40,000 was more than fair for her effort and anyway, it had been her idea. Eric might come across to others as all business, but he never failed to show his appreciation for those around him that had earned his appreciation.

Eric's tough persona was something which Pam had learned was designed to create a velvet rope per se, into the VIP area of his life. Once you were proven worthy to be given access to the inner sanctum of his life, it was only then that you began to get to know the true Eric Northman.

[**Bill's Home in Bon Temps**]

Bill met Pam on the porch of his home and it was obvious he was reluctant to listen to anything she might have to say to him, but she was going to try to alleviate some of the tension between her master and this man she had come to know since the blonde telepath had become too popular. Bill might be old-fashioned but she admitted she had taken notice of the ceaseless chivalry that was still alive and well in the world according to Bill Compton.

"Pam, please do not assume that you are going to tell me to walk away from Sookie so that Eric may have her," Bill said calmly as the well coiffed beauty took the steps to his porch slowly and with determination.

Pam loved the times when she could dress for anything other than a night at Fangtasia and tonight was no exception. She was wearing a geranium pink ruched matte jersey dress by David Meister that hugged her supple curves to perfection and complimented it with a pair of nude Jimmy Choo pumps.

"Bill, I'm here because I think you need to gain some perspective. Perspective in regards to what Sookie feels about your dishonesty. I know you do not want to hear anything about Eric pursuing her favor. I do understand that, but I will try to keep her feelings as a woman my topic and leave the other things out for another night."

"I do not understand what you mean. I could not tell Sookie about Lorena, and I did not know I would become so attached to her when the Queen sent me back here to see about the human telepath. I did what I thought was best for Sookie."

"Bill please…can I come in? Do you think it would be possible to talk as friends? I do not mean any harm in coming here tonight, but only want you to see things from the perspective of the women of this time. We have lived through many times, no? How many women, especially human women, have you courted in the part 100 years?"

"Very well Pam. I will hear what you have to tell me but do not think for a moment that it will change how I feel about redeeming myself to Sookie."

"I know Bill," Pam said as she followed him to what could only be called a parlor even in this time. It was as if time had stood still in this big old house and Bill seemed to be satisfied with all the accouterments of his human life.

He held to these precious things as if replacing them would in effect; replace the very things that assured him he had, once, been human. She took a deep breath, not because she needed the oxygen but because even after all these years, this simple human action had always given her pause to put her thoughts in order.

Pam was perceived as a hard ass among her peers. She was often viewed as cold and unfeeling. She had learned this from Eric and it had grown to be her façade as it was his. She was slow to let anyone into her world for fear that they would harm her or steal from her or even worse yet, bring problems into her life she didn't want to deal with and she dealt with so much nightly working at the bar.

To allow anyone into her circle of companions that she showed even a trace of warmth to, they would be put through her own personal series of tests to ensure they were worthy of her personal time. Bill had rarely seen kindness in her and when he did bear witness to it, it was in response to her maker, Eric. Bill thought that Pam was probably in love with Eric and had been for many years and her exterior had only hardened because Eric had used her repeatedly.

It was almost tragic that so few saw Eric and Pam how they truly were but both had decided that it was better this way. They both believed in no bullshit and no darkness. Their existence was consumed with darkness and they constantly sought their own personal sources of light.

"Bill, we've know each other for a long time haven't we?"

"Yes we have."

"I know you think that I am a cold hearted bitch that doesn't care about anyone else and I'm sorry I've continued to let you think that for so long. It is very difficult for me to trust people and I owe you an apology for taking this long to warm up to you. You have proven yourself to Eric and to me again and again and I hate to admit that I've grown accustomed to my dark vampire persona so much that I find it more and more difficult to turn it off. I'm going to try and let you see the other parts of me from now on and I hope you see that it is as genuine as we of our nature, can be."

"I appreciate that Pam, but what does this all have to do with Sookie and her reluctance to forgive me and become mine again?"

"Bill, you do understand that you were the first man that Sookie ever loved, don't you? You were her first in so many aspects."

"Well yes, I suppose you are correct. I hope because of that, she will come back to me in time, and hopefully she will understand I really did what I thought was best."

"Pause for a moment and consider Sookie, a telepathic human, but a human nonetheless, saved you in Dallas. Consider she saved you from the drainers the very night she met you after only speaking to you for a few minutes."

Pam allowed a pregnant pause to overtake Bill. She hoped he was considering these events. She hoped he was truly grasping the magnitude of how unbelievable it was that a human woman had saved him from certain death twice. Sookie may be a young human woman, but she was an old soul.

Sookie seemed older than most vampires, this was one reason Pam was so intrigued by the blossoming relationship between the blonde human and her Viking maker. She observed many times, Eric and Sookie seemed to be two halves of a whole. Sookie seemed like someone who was ripped out of his human life and put here for him. Pam wasn't even sure Eric saw what she saw in the bond they seemed to share.

"Pam I know all of this but I do not understand what this has to do with our courtship."

"Bill do you know how long it has been since men courted women? It has been almost a century! Women are now considered virtually equal with men. The only place women truly still struggle for equality is in their careers. Sookie wanted to be perceived as an equal in your relationship and you did not allow her that by keeping things from her especially things made her feel like she was a thing to be handled."

"But I was not handling her in any manner. I only wanted to protect her."

"Bill the things I have asked you to consider…remember she doesn't need your protection and yet she likes the idea of you wanting to protect her."

"I still do not understand. I was protecting her and I will forevermore protect her even if she does not want me."

"A modern human woman does not want to be protected from information. She wants to be protected from physical harm. She wants to know that if she calls, the man will come in and save her from whatever plight she feels she can not defeat. She wants to be given the opportunity to protect herself. You took her opportunity from her when you did not confide in her about what was happening. You also must consider the very thing you kept from her resulted in her having to use her abilities to come in and save you."

Bill sat for a moment and Pam hoped the idea was beginning to click in his antiquated mind.

"I do not claim to understand all of what you are telling me but I do know that the women of my time do not live any more. The women today are very different and men are not necessary to their very survival. I fear her opinion of me is forever changed and it is possible she will never look at me with the eyes that once carried so much adoration for me."

"Yes Bill, as much as it causes you turmoil, her opinion of you is forever changed. It is most unlikely that she will ever take a romantic inclination towards you again. Not only have you changed in her eyes, but now there are other suitors that have opened up her choices whereas before you were her only person she was truly at peace with. You have lost the element of being the single man in her life she had that with."

"Sookie will never look at me the way she did, will she? I will never feel quite so human again. I do not like Eric pursuing her. He will consider her a conquest and then he will cast her aside. I do not relish cleaning up the pieces of her once he is done with her as his plaything."

"This is something else you must understand. I see bigger forces at work here with Eric and Sookie. You and I do not know what truly happened with them when Eric was under Hallow's spell, and Eric is not sharing it, even with me. He has become very quiet when it comes to Sookie. He is fiercely protective of her and it does not seem to be based in protecting his investment. He is ready to discuss what happened before the Witch War with her and has said he now remembers everything. It's true they have a blood bond but now but I feel there is something more at work."

Bill looked at Pam and she saw him shudder. She finally brought up what has been on her mind.

"Bill, have you ever heard of our kind finding a mate?"

"I have heard of this but have never seen it. I am hesitant to believe it is even possible with our kind. We just do not form bonds as humans do and I think these stories evolve from subservient relationships rather than ones of true companionship."

"I have witnessed it once many years ago. It was two of our kind and it was mesmerizing. It seemed as if each were orbiting around the other. I have never heard of it between one of us and a human but Sookie is no plain human. She is extraordinary and the way Eric has this special sense of everything about her reminds me of the relationship I witnessed.

"I say this not to cause you pain, but to warn you. Although I am not sure what either of them will do with what has happened, and what is occurring every time they are near one another, but something is definitely happening. You should respect the higher forces at work here."

As Pam stopped speaking she tried to prepare for anything in regards to Bill's reaction to her observation. He had claimed Sookie as his own from the first time she met Eric, but Eric had the power over him to just take her. The one thing Pam did know was that Eric did not want to just take Sookie from Bill and it wasn't for Bill's sake.

It was as if Eric knew that Sookie did not want to be passed around as a possession and for some odd reason, Eric wanted to make sure she did not feel that way. Eric had never been one to take note of other's feelings. She knew this was significant for him and she felt that whatever was coming, none of them would ever be the same again. Change was coming and she liked Bill enough to want him aware that he needed to take measures to prepare.

Bill was visibly shaken, that much was obvious, but he seemed to be processing all that Pam had said and was trying to decide what might be his best possible move. Should he continue to fight for Sookie and risk losing her as well as his position in the vampire hierarchy with Eric? It would be inevitable that if he pushed Sookie further and he lost, he would lose much more than her affections.

Finally, he took Pam's hand in to his and began to speak, "Thank you for speaking with me about these things tonight Pam. I confess that I agree with you. Although the depth of my regret in how I have handled things with Sookie is great, I know myself well enough to know I would not have handled it differently if I could repeat the sequence of events. I've lost her love and I need to try and mend this with her to just be able to know her. I think I will go up to the bar and talk to her tonight."

"Can you wait a bit on that Bill? I have to go see her for Eric," Pam said and it was obvious that she didn't like to tell Bill this on the heels of him realizing that Sookie was lost to him. But Pam always thought honesty was best, even though sometimes brutal, and she wouldn't be a hand holder.

"Very well," Bill said.

"How about you give me an hour from now and come in? I'll have her answer for Eric by then and you can talk with her."

"I can do this."

"Thank you Bill. I apologize for taking so long to show any warmth to you."

"Seventy odd years of the cold shoulder is a bit much, isn't it?" Bill said as his dark eyes grinned at Pam.

"Much too long my friend, much too long. Let me buy you a True Blood when you get to Sam's little hovel. Sound good?"

"Sounds good. I will see you in an hour."

Pam stood and as she did, Bill reached out and squeezed her hand. They smiled at one another for a moment before she walked to the door. She felt a little lighter as she climbed in to her car. She sought these moments out; the moments where a dim light shines in to the dark life of a vampire.

She was wrong to keep her distance from Bill for so long and that was something she would think about later. Perhaps as she entertained the shallow fangbangers at Fangtasia, but right now she had to complete her Masters orders. Pam already knew Eric would wonder what took her so long to call him with the tentative plans for his evening.

**

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A/N:** First of all I know people are going to ask about Pam. I like Pam and look at her as merely misunderstood. She has stood in Eric's shadow for so long that no one really knows her. I know Bill sounds a bit like a girly man but really, he does say a lot of things that sound so awkward in modern times. In my mind his words and even tenor is so uncomfortable and I'm trying to convey that to the text. If I'm failing at it, please let me know! So if you're concerned about the last sentence of this paragraph, remember she was sent to Bon Temps to ask Sookie to come to Shreveport for a date with Eric. Well, stopping by Bill's was an executive decision of Pam's; it wasn't on Eric's agenda!

So you can take a peek in my head:

Pam's Audi TT Coupe http://i26[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/2hx4u4p[DOT]jpg

Pam's Dress http://i25[DOT]tinypic[DOT}com/343tbev[DOT]jpg

Pam's Shoes http://i25[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/2mx1nbl[DOT]jpg

**

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Next chapter:** Pam is going to go do Eric's dirty work and ask Sookie out on a date. The conversations between Pam and Bill and Pam and Sookie are important to my storyline as I'm thawing Pam out. Does Pam have some lemony goodness coming her own way? What do you think about Bill? Will he decide he's been psycho stalker long enough for Sookie and clear the path for his Sheriff?

Review and you'll get a Blonde Viking Popsicle! I welcome any and all questions you might have. I will try to answer questions you might have. Thanks to all who have taken the time to review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Things I Don't Own:** Stock in Japanese synthetic blood, a bar named Fangtasia, or the Southern Vampire Series and its characters.

**Things I Do Own:** A 32 oz Diet Coke with Vanilla from Sonic, a swimming pool to beat the Texas heat, and a BA in English that hangs on my office wall collecting dust.

**Song That Inspired this Chapter:** Remedy by The Black Crowes, Learning to Fly by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Hysteria by Def Leppard

**A/N:** Thanks to **Southernlady23** for being such a fantastic Beta! Omigosh! Everyone that has read my first two chapters and reviewed! Reviews are like virgin blood to vampires; they give me the energy to go and go like the energizer bunny and that means faster chapters for you guys to gobble up! Thank you so much!

_**

* * *

She was wrong to keep her distance from Bill for so long and that was something she would think about later. Perhaps as she entertained the shallow fangbangers at Fangtasia, but right now she had to complete her Masters orders. Pam already knew Eric would wonder what took her so long to call him with the tentative plans for his evening. **_

**

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Chapter 3**

Omnipotent POV

[**Merlotte's**]

Pam walked in to the bar and was pleased it seemed to be a slow night because it would be easy to get Sookie's attention. Sam nodded to Pam as she walked over to the bar and spoke to him.

"Hi Sam, Sookie is here tonight isn't she?"

"Yeah Pam, she's probably just getting something from the back. That booth is available in her section if you want to have a seat."

Sam had nodded towards a quiet booth in the corner. It was the booth Pam would've picked if she had a choice in Sam's little bar. The table was as out of the way as you could be in Merlotte's.

She knew what people said when Sookie spoke with her "vamp friends" and wanted to cause as little grief for the blonde as possible. Pam wondered how anyone could deal with the constant clamor of voices in their head, especially when they were hate riddled and directed right towards you. No wonder the girl was drawn to vampires.

Sookie POV

I walked into the front of the bar and saw Pam and smiled. I was used to smiling as if I was happy as a clam to see someone, even when it was the last thing I felt, so welcoming Pam was easy. However, I wondered why Pam would come out to Bon Temps alone. It was unusual for sure so I braced myself for trouble.

"Hi Pam, you want a bottle of True Blood?"

"With a glass please. O Negative and can you take a break and talk with me?"

"Uh...sure Pam, I'll check my tables and let Sam know and be right back with your drink."

What on God's green earth is going on? I mean, she doesn't seem to think I'm a toy anymore but she doesn't come out to Bon Temps to talk to me unless it's serious. If Eric has a message for me he always sends my number one fan Bobby Burham so I can't fathom what Pam is here for, but I guess I'll find out soon enough.

The few customers I had were finishing up. I had given everyone their tab; tonight had been slow as it often was in the middle of the week when I worked the later shift. I hadn't come in until five and was leaving by eleven — a little more than an hour to go. The kitchen was already closed so no one else would come in and order much more than a beer or two. I went to Sam and asked him to warm up an O Neg and grabbed a wine glass.

"Sam, do you mind if I talk with Pam for a few. She's here for a reason I'm just not sure what it is."

"Sure thing Sookie. You need me over there?"

"Sam I'm sure it's fine. I'm just curious why she drove to Bon Temps tonight. That's not normal for Pam. She usually stays at Fangtasia and that ass Bobby comes to deliver messages to me."

"I'm sure you'll know what's up soon enough. All your tables taken care of?"

"Yeah Sam, everyone has already closed out and I've given their tabs to them. I'll be as quick as possible."

"Ok Sookie, here's Pam's drink."

"Thanks Sam."

I shook the bottle just a little to warm it evenly and walked over to Pam's booth. I laid a napkin out and placed the glass on top and slowly poured just the right amount in to Pam's glass. Pam smiled and motioned for me to sit.

"I don't mean to be rude Pam but, is everything okay? You don't normally come to Merlotte's by yourself or on a social visit. Is Eric in trouble?"

"No Sookie, all is well. Actually Eric did send me. He wanted me to ask you if you are off tomorrow and if so, would you come to Shreveport to see him tonight?"

"He sent you Pam? Why didn't he just use his normal messenger Bobby? I don't mean to be suspicious I'm just trying to figure out what this is about. And what does me coming out there tonight have anything to do with whether I work tomorrow or not?"

Pam once again took a few measured deep breaths. She watched the thick fluid move in her glass as she turned the stem with her fingertips. She picked up her glass and took a thoughtful sip and prepared to tell Sookie what Eric wanted. She wondered if it would bother Sookie that she was aware of what was happening between the two of them and hoped she would not be offended because of it.

"Sookie, Eric would like you to come out to his home tonight and spend the evening with him. He said that you could stay there for the night and drive back tomorrow during the day if you are agreeable. He wants to spend some time with you alone to speak to you about what happened when he was hidden here in Bon Temps and how you both feel about all of that now that he remembers."

I sat for a moment and forgot to breathe. I hated that I couldn't read Pam's thoughts at this moment. What the hell does she know and how could Eric tell her before he even spoke to me? I felt my anger began to rumble and I started to speak.

"If Eric wants to talk to me he can god-damned well call me himself! Why did he send you here and…I'm sorry if I seem rude Pam but why do you know more than I do about my relationship with Eric. I just don't think…"

"Sookie please stop for a minute and let me explain."

I clamped my lips closed but felt my eyes burning with fury. I knew tears were welling up and I needed to get control of myself. I put my fists in my lap and squeezed them so hard, had my nails been longer; I would've cut into my palms while I waited for Pam to continue.

"Sookie, Eric sent me because he is trying to finish up some business now so that when you come, he can leave Fangtasia and be off for the evening. He is trying to clear his schedule so that he can spend it with you."

All of the air went right out of my sails, heck if my lungs had been balloons, everyone in the bar would've heard the squeal of the air leaving them! I know I must've looked like a deer in headlights for a second and then the wheels in my head began to turn.

"So Eric is going to take off from the bar to spend the whole night with me? He doesn't think I'm just going to come a runnin' to be his fangbanger of the night does he? Because I am not even interested in that! I mean, I do want to talk to him about everything, but I'm not going to let Eric boss me around like he does everyone else."

I was really giving it to Pam. Talk about shooting the messenger! I was so used to being mad at Eric and telling him not to order me around that I was a little overwhelmed at the new feeling of liking that he was telling me to come and see him under these much more promising circumstances. There was an intense heat bubbling up from the pit of my stomach and it was shooting towards my fingers and toes. I was wondering right then when I would just burst into flames.

I couldn't deny that my heart was about to jump right out of my throat thinking about an invitation to Eric's house where it would be just me and him. I know I shouldn't be so happy about this but I couldn't help it. I couldn't stop the fire that was building inside me. I knew it was hopeless.

Eric was the closest thing to sex on a stick I'd ever been close enough to touch and boy howdy, did I get to do a lot of touching! My thoughts were already racing and before I knew it, I was cataloging my limited sexy lingerie in my head to figure out what I could possibly wear to see him. Whoa! I needed to come back down to earth!

"Pam I'm sorry. That was rude to say to you and I apologize. I mean, you're sitting right here doing exactly what he has asked you and I just insulted that."

"Sookie please stop rambling. I really can't listen to it anymore."

Pam stared me down for a minute to ensure I had gotten a hold of my incessant rambling. It seemed like she was waiting to see if I was calm enough to listen before she spoke.

Pam looked at me for a moment. I wondered how long she would silently glare at me for being…well for being human. Was she going to say anything more about what she knew about the actual relationship between Eric and me? Or was she just going to complete her ordered task and high-tail it back to Shreveport?

It seemed obvious to me that Pam was more than ready to be done with her task. I had to try to improve her opinion of me. I don't' know why I wanted to do that but it bothered me that she might think I'm crazy.

"I'm sorry Pam. I just get so crazy when I feel like Eric is ordering me around. I am off tomorrow and tell Eric that I'll come out. I'm going to be really pissed if this is some trick to get me to do a parlor trick for him with my head!

I was calming down but I was also beginning to scare myself. How can a person feel calm and scared at the same time? I'm a complete nut case! It was so exciting to know I'd see Eric and maybe get his undivided attention. I was scared because my heart would break in to a million pieces if this was another one of his ploys. This was a do or die moment for me and I recognized it. Before I could even think, my mouth started running again.

"Pam, is it a big deal to be invited to his house?"

"Yes dear, it is a very 'big deal' to be invited to Eric's home. I don't know that he has ever invited anyone over. You understand how our kind is about protecting our resting place, so he doesn't really ever invite people there. I've been there on occasion but to be perfectly honest with you, it has only been for business reasons."

I took a minute to let this information sink in. I wondered if this was really as big of a deal as Pam wanted me to think. If he really didn't invite people to his home, this was a Very Big Deal. It almost gave me hope that I would see the sweet, amazing, and super yummy Eric I had enjoyed over and over in the small bubble of goodness before the Witch War.

"Ok, Sookie, Eric's home is located over on the Southeast side of Shreveport by Long Lake. Are you familiar with it?"

"I don't think so can you just give me directions from the area where Fangtasia is?"

"Sure my human friend, you will need to know there is a security gate with a Guard. You'll need to check in there and the guard will give you access. Once you get there his house is pretty easy to find. It's on Waters Edge Drive which is the main street in to the subdivision and is a block and a half down on the right. Here is the address and directions from here."

Pam handed me the paper. I recognized Eric's cryptic hand writing on a sheet of Fangtasia letterhead. At the bottom he had written,

_

* * *

'I honor you with this invitation. I know we have a lot to talk about.  
Your Lover, E.'_

* * *

Goodness gracious he could make the deepest part of me go from simmer to boiling with just a few words scribbled on a piece of paper and that sort of pissed me off, but I swallowed the bitter pill for the time being.

"Ok Pam, thanks for coming. I'm kinda glad he didn't send Bobby down to ask me this. Ya want another drink?"

"No, I'm good for right now. Eric will want you to text him when you leave Bon Temps so he will know if you find trouble. Why did you ask about Bobby?"

"Well, Bobby comes to me to deliver messages from Bobby and he's obviously not a fan of mine. He's never very nice. I've told Eric so please don't make it worse. Bobby will just hate me more. If you don't need anything else, I'm going to get back to it, and by the way, I don't really find trouble, but I'll admit I do seem to bump into it. Anyway…I need to get back to my customers. Are you going to sit for a bit?"

"I'm going to finish this and then probably head back to Shreveport. Don't want to drink and drive, you know?"

Pam grinned and I laughed at her little joke. She was never overly friendly with me so I was still a little wary of her, but whatever. I couldn't help the extra pep in my step as I went to make change for my customers and continued to think about what I could wear tonight to see Eric or 'Mr. January' as I often thought of him. I was wiping down a table and turned because I heard the door open and somehow knew before I looked up that it was Bill. Sure enough, he had just slid in to the booth with Pam.

"Hi Bill, can I get you an O Negative?"

"Why yes Sookie, thank you."

As I walked away Bill was chatting with Pam. I wondered what that was all about but I'm not going to let it ruin my buzz about seeing Eric tonight. I wondered if Bill knew what Pam was here for.

Before I knew it, Pam and Bill were the only customers I had left and I hoped they would be my last ones. Suddenly, tops just didn't matter tonight. I began mentally listing what I needed to do before scooting out. As I picked up Bill's drink from the bar, I asked Sam if I could go ahead and begin my prep work for tomorrow in hopes to leave a little early. Sam looked at me funny; I knew he wanted to ask me what was up.

"What Sam? Is it bad for me to want to leave on a slow night as soon as I can?"

"It's fine Sookie. Is everything okay over there?" Sam asked as he nodded over to Pam and Bill.

"It's fine Sam. Eric wants to talk to me and Pam came to tell me and give me directions to his place."

Sam dropped his head and stood for a moment. I knew he was pissed and I also knew I was tired of caring. He had never once showed any interest in me until Bill had came along and I was done with him moping if he thought I was getting attention from another man. I couldn't hold my tongue any longer.

"Stop it Sam. It's not your place."

"Its fine it you leave early Sookie," Sam replied with a tone of defeat.

I began filling salt and pepper shakers in the nook by the kitchen as my mind wandered. and looked up to Bill and Pam. They were chatting and it looked like they were two old friends. I'd never noticed them be friendly like this and wondered what that was all about. Maybe Bill would show some interest in Pam. They were well matched and it would be nice if he finally got the hint that I wasn't going to be with him anymore.

Bill should've known already that 'The Bill and Sookie Show' was way over and he should move on. I'd have to ask Eric what he thought of this match-up later.

I was thinking of what I needed to do when I got home and didn't realize Bill had approached. I braced myself for my number one buzz kill.

"Hey Bill, you need another drink?"

"No Sookie, I just want to say something to you."

"Bill really, haven't we said everything there is to say? I don't want to replay it all again tonight, okay?"

"Sookie I wanted to say…I wanted to say I'm going to stop this continuous pursuit of you and winning your favor."

Okay…second time tonight I've had the breath sucked right out of my lungs. I could only stand there and look at him waiting for the other shoe to drop. I guess that answered my question of whether or not he knew why Pam was here. Now he'd start telling me again that Eric is just going to use me and cast me aside. Before I could respond to his statement he started again.

"I mean, I love you. You mean the world to me, but this is not good for you and I'm going to stop. I want to remain your friend and I will always be around if you should need my assistance. I hope that you will give me the opportunity to at least know you."

I did the only thing I could do. I reached up and put my arms around his neck and embraced him. I felt the tears filling my eyes again and all I could do was whisper, "Thank you," to him for a few minutes.

"Bill, I'd really like that. Thank you again for so much."

Bill took my hand in his and squeezed it and smiled at me. For just a second, feeling he had began to let all our past go, I saw the guy I'd loved. I really hoped we could stay friendly. I watched him walk back to the table where Pam sat and wondered if he did know that I was going to see Eric tonight.

A few minutes later, Bill and Pam were waving me over to say their good-byes and heading out. I stayed so focused that all my duties were finished and I'd be able to follow their lead and leave in a few minutes. I tossed her apron in the laundry tub by the kitchen and waved to Sam as I headed to my car. I needed to get home, get cleaned up, and head to Shreveport.

I gave in to myself and admitted I was bubbling over with excitement about going to see Eric. I had a long list of questions for him and first of all, I wanted to know if these feelings were more true attraction or if they were blood bond stuff. I needed to know if the draw I had to him was about the blood or if it was more serious and more real. I was scared even thinking it might be real.

**

* * *

A/N:** So Bill came in to Merlotte's and didn't even act like a stalker! Good for him! I need Bill to get over his obsession with Sookie because he really has blown it with her over and over. Do you think Pam did well on her little errand?

**Next chapter:** Sookie prepares for her overnight visit to Shreveport and Amelia brings some much needed answers to her questions about the blood bond. I think it's time we all figured out what the blood bond really entails and I think Amelia has been doing some research for us.

I'm strung out on reviews like a V Addict trying to get in touch with Lafayette! Please give me a drop or two! Thank you again and a million times over for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

**Things I Don't Own:** Any character of plot belonging to the Southern Vampire Series. I'm just playing with a few

**Things I Do Own:** A newly scrubbed laptop, 10 loads of clean laundry, and a craving for a Nehi Peach Soda.

**Songs That Inspired this Chapter:** Girl U Want by Devo, Hungry Like The Wolf by Duran Duran, Take My Breath Away by Berlin

**Heartfelt Thanks:** To my great Beta SouthernLady23. Your patience is endless and I only hope I can find a way to pay you back somehow. Tons of thanks to those of you who have been reading and leaving reviews! I appreciate it so much! Only my Beta knows this, but I've suffered a very rough week and my computer was hijacked by one vicious virus so even though he doesn't read my fanfic, my Computer Wizard, Mike, saved this story and everything else on my laptop.

I only lost a few files and lucky for me, none of them were important and there was no drastic measure like of reformatting my HD or anything of the sort. For those of you that don't do this, back up your stuff! My suggestion is www [DOT] mozy [DOT] com. Mozy will provide you a free backup of up to 2GB free on a virtual drive. 2GB isn't a lot, but it can get your important stuff, your docs and such. This only builds a back up, but it's a nice thing to have just in case.

_**

* * *

I gave in to myself and admitted I was bubbling over with excitement about going to see Eric. I had a long list of questions for him and first of all, I wanted to know if these feelings were more true attraction or if they were blood bond stuff. I needed to know if the draw I had to him was about the blood or if it was more serious and more real. I was scared even thinking it might be real.**_

**

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Chapter 4**

Sookie POV

[Sookie's House]

As I drove up to my house, I literally bounced out of the car and up the steps. Whether I liked it or not, I was downright giddy contemplating seeing Eric. I couldn't help my mind—or my body for that matter—from being thrilled that he wanted me to come see him at his house.

I didn't want to let myself even hope Eric was interested in me, but it was so hard to resist thinking about it. I was trying hard to keep my feet on the ground and I worried that it was going to cause me so much heartbreak.

Amelia was folding clothes when I came in and it was impossible to get past her without an explanation. She was a bit skeptical about my involvement with vampires but she was also one of the few people in my life that didn't judge me. She was accepting and supportive, the best traits in a friend a girl could ever ask for. I didn't know what I'd do, if and when, she moved back to New Orleans. I was now so accustomed to the tenor of her mind and the happy presence she filled my home with.

"Hi Amelia."

"Whoa! Stop right there girl, what's going on? You're flushed and kind of glowing. Did you meet someone at the bar tonight?"

"No…I'm going to go see Eric."

"You're what? When did you decide this? When are you going? Details! I need details!"

Amelia was wide-eyed and like a bloodhound on a scent. She wasn't going to give up until I folded and gave her something to chew on. I took a deep breath and told her what happened at work.

"Well, Pam came to the bar tonight to tell me Eric wanted to see me tonight. Eric sent her because he wanted to make sure he was free once I got there. I guess he was finishing up at Fangtasia while she was out here. He invited me to his house Amelia! Pam said no one goes to Eric's house."

"So, how do you feel about that?"

"Oh Amelia—(I thought of the best thing to say and then just threw caution to the wind)—I'm excited. I'm really, really excited…more excited than I want to be honestly, but I can't help it so…I'm just going to enjoy it for now."

"Then enjoy it Sookie! You know, sometimes it's best to just take the moment and enjoy it for what it is. You know? Don't worry about what may or may not happen after, just be in that moment. You deserve it. You know, so many times you're out doing your thing to help the vamps or saving Sam. You've been through a lot of stuff most people never have to deal with. Excitement and having a good time is something that is way overdue for Sookie Stackhouse."

I loved this woman, this unexpected treat in my life. Amelia was right. It was okay for me to just be happy about what might be tonight and not worry about tomorrow.

"I know Eric is back to the old Eric. He's not 'Under a Spell Eric' anymore. He'll probably want me to do some vamp business and go poking in someone's head, but Pam said he knows I want to talk to him about his memories. He wants to make sure he gives me his full attention, so maybe this will be okay."

"So…is this a date or a meeting?"

"I don't know for sure. I think it's a date and that's how I'm going to treat it. I'm going to jump in the shower and then we can talk more while I'm getting ready."

"Okay. Hey Sookie, I don't want you to think I have been meddling, but I asked Octavia about the spell Hallow put on Eric."

I stopped walking and turned around. I couldn't even think of being upset with her about telling Octavia about my personal affairs. All I could focus on was finding out if the two witches had come up with anything about the spell and why Eric ended up on the road to my house. I waited for Amelia to go on.

"Well, obviously Hallow created it herself. We couldn't find anything to tell us what exactly Hallow wanted to achieve with the spell. The only thing we could conclusively agree on is that Hallow's spell on Eric led his subconscious mind to act on something he normally wouldn't have; most people suppress subconscious urges. We think Hallow wanted to uncover some morbid secret of Eric's; something that would lead to his embarrassment if it became public knowledge."

"Well then she was successful because it seems like Eric is embarrassed by at least some aspects of being here with me."

"Sookie I think there is a spiritual connection between you two. Maybe one neither of you has ever faced. Just something for you to think about."

"You're right, Amelia, I should think more about that. Is it bad if I don't want to think about it tonight?"

Amelia laughed at me, "No way Sookie, think about it later. Tonight, live in the moment! Let tonight be your night."

I grinned at her and finally headed to my bathroom to start getting ready. I didn't know what to think about this spiritual connection. I hadn't learned a lot about witches and witchcraft, but after talking with Holly before the Witch War, my experience after Hadley's death and all that surrounded it, and of course, being around Amelia taught me a thing or two.

One thing I learned specifically was in Wiccan tradition, all things of a spiritual nature were to be recognized and respected. I had never thought of why I was so drawn to Eric, I mean, besides his great looks and the contentment I felt so often when he was near. I hated to admit that maybe I didn't even want to think about it.

I turned my shower on to warm the water up and pulled out my stash of date shower goodies. First, I shampooed and conditioned my hair, and then I grabbed a new razor and made sure my legs were smooth. I put one foot on the edge of the tub and made sure that I hadn't missed anywhere. I know some women didn't like, this but I loved being totally smooth all over and I wasn't talking about just my legs. I would normally be ashamed of myself for being so presumptuous with a man and a date. It was time I stopped thinking about what normal date rules were and what other women did. I wasn't normal and neither were the men I dated. I needed to make my own rules and tonight I was going to start.

After I had finished the housekeeping, I slathered on Gran's special recipe that made my skin silky smooth. Gran's body scrub was a mix of plain sugar, ground ginger, and a dash of cinnamon. It made my tan glow and the ginger and cinnamon made my skin tingle. Finally, I finished off with the wonderful lavender and vanilla shower gel. As I ran the mesh pouf down my flat stomach and below, I felt the fire flare back up and started to feel the soft pulse of my arousal as I ran my hands down between my legs. The soothing scents and the warm water, mixed with my thoughts of Eric had me wanting release right there. I stood under the shower head a moment longer and thought, "Don't lie to yourself girl, that hot blonde Viking will take care of that problem later tonight. You need to get going!"

I turned off the water and stepped out to dry off but before I even opened the bathroom door, Amelia was talking through the door.

"Will you be back tonight?"

I put on my comfy terry robe and wrapped my hair in a towel as I opened the door I replied to her.

"I don't think so. Eric told Pam to tell me I could stay at his house and then drive back tomorrow since it may be late for me. He doesn't want me to make the drive back late I guess."

"Or he wants to take you fifty ways till Tuesday!"

"Amelia!"

Amelia grinned and although I'm not one to talk about personal matters like that, she could tell I just about burst right out of my seams at the thought of even touching Eric. Once again, I wondered if my excitement was due to the blood or something more.

I guess Amelia could tell I was thinking about something important. I turned from the mirror and looked and her and got a glimpse of her thoughts.

"What do you know about the blood bond?"

Amelia knew I'd seen something in her head. I could tell she was wondering if she should tell me what she had found out.

"Sookie, I knew this blood bond thing has been bothering you for a while and so I have been doing some research about it. Now, don't get excited because I really don't know a lot. All the research I've found states the blood bond is more about the vampire. The bond gives the vampire a sixth sense about the human."

"So the way I feel about Eric isn't because of the blood?"

"All I've found on the effects on the human side of the equation is the healing and vitality benefits. There is nothing, anywhere, about development of an emotional connection between the two parts that works both ways."

Well that was certainly something to think about while I was driving to Eric's house. Did this mean I was just really that crazy about him and why? He had left much to be desired in the personality department more times than I wanted to list and it felt like he used me often. I started to blow dry my hair and I noticed Amelia wander off.

Once I decided my hair was dried and ready, I went and pulled out one of my nicer matching bra and panty sets. It was something I had gotten on sale but it was nice and understated. It was a peachy tan color and would go nicely under the dress I was going to wear.

The dress was my "live in the moment" contribution to the evening. It was a cotton knit blend in a chocolate shade that draped perfectly over my curves. There was a plunge in the neckline that was sexy, not scandalous but the back was a whole different story. The back of the dress was a heavy lace that went from shoulder to shoulder and narrowed into a "V" point right below my waist. It was gorgeous and it wasn't so dressy that I was uncomfortable. I called Amelia to see if she approved.

"Amelia, do you think this dress is too much?"

"Wow Sook, where have you been hiding that? It's fantastic!"

"I know it's fantastic, but it's not going too far is it? I don't want to seem, you know, cheap."

"Sookie I think it's great. What shoes are you gonna wear because you know that needs some sexy heels."

"I knew you would say that."

I held up the pair I was thinking would go great with the dress. They were not terribly high but higher then I would normally wear. They were a bone color with a skinny heel and an ankle strap.

"Those are perfect! Go with those for sure. What are you going to pack? I mean, he did say you could stay there rather than come back. I think you should give that vampire a taste of his own medicine. He's always just dripping with sex. You should show him you can turn the tables!"

Was I going to throw caution to the wind and just let myself go? So often, I erred on the side of caution. I always worried what others would think of my actions, but this would be just Eric and I. No one would be involved but the two of us and one thing I was very sure about was Eric was not a "kiss and tell" type of man. I should just go after what I wanted tonight and I wanted two things; I wanted to grasp some understanding of where we were in this insane relationship we were having and I wanted a bit of that gourmet sex I knew Eric would willingly offer. This was definitely a now or never decision for me and I wasn't real experienced in making those kinds of choices.

Even if I didn't get all the answers I wanted from him, I knew that anytime I was alone with Eric and there wasn't a life or death emergency, well, sometimes even with a crazy life-threatening event happening, Eric would be the Eric I was used to. He would make sure I knew he wanted to have sex with him. He would call me lover, he would kiss me until I my body was about to burst in to flames. I was being honest with myself, I knew it, and I was already dressing for it so I needed to embrace it and enjoy the anticipation.

"I have some things I'm going to get together. You can come in here while I put a bag together."

Amelia followed me to my room where I grabbed my travel bag and began walking around my room getting my overnight essentials. I was gathering my makeup bag and toiletries when Amelia sat down on my bed.

"Sookie, what about some sexy lingerie? Are you gonna bring any?"

I though for a moment and grinned. What the heck, right? I went to my dresser and grabbed what I was thinking about. It wasn't the plain cotton nightgowns I slept in at home. It was a simple satin chemise in a minty green with a little black lace giving a girl well-endowed, like me, a little extra support while still pulling of sexy.

"What do you think about this?"

"Oooohhhh Sookie, that's great. It's perfect! You definitely need to take it."

"Here goes," I said grinning as I folded it and put it in to my bag.

I grabbed a simple sundress and white shrug sweater to wear back tomorrow. The weather had been nice. I'd be comfy coming home in it and wouldn't need to add another pair of shoes to my bag. I stuck a book in my bag as I always did just in case.

"I'm heading out Amelia. Call me if you need me."

"I won't need you for anything! Enjoy yourself!"

"I'm hoping for lots of enjoyment! I'll see you tomorrow sometime."

"Oh he's gonna blow your socks off and you know it! Drive carefully!"

I waved as I pulled the back door shut and locked it behind me. I threw my bag in the passenger seat and went around the car to get in. The night air was nice and there was a soft breeze. As I sat down in the car and grabbed Eric's directions from my purse, I remembered I needed to send him a text that I was on my way. I grabbed my phone and flipped it open and began to search for Eric's number in my contacts. I felt the anticipation spark deep inside of me and I wondered how long this drive would feel like. I found Eric's name and went to text him.

I thought for a minute and wished I was quick-witted and wanted to come up with something really good to send him. Why couldn't I think of a line that I'd read somewhere that said exactly what I wanted perfectly? But Eric wasn't one that would like cute or mushy words. He was a man of few words and the ones he said always packed a wallop. I could never throw something out there in a few words that would affect him the way he so often affected me.

I gave up and punched in the most boring text, "Leaving my house now B there soon." I wasn't going to waste anymore time trying to dream up ways to get to Eric the way he always got to me. I started the car and headed to Shreveport and to Eric. Before I ever got on the highway, my phone toned to alert me I had a text message. I grabbed my phone and flipped it open.

A volcano exploded in my stomach and although I rarely speed, I felt my foot apply more pressure to the gas pedal as I held my breath and read the text.

"I await your arrival to mend the hurt that my unkindness has marred."

He'd done it again.

**

* * *

A/N:** First of all, I must give credit where credit is due. Eric's text response is taken from Shakespeare's "Venus and Adonis." It's not verbatim, but it is taken roughly from there. Gotta give Bard the credit.  Originally I was going to make Chapter 5 Eric's house, but I'm toying with the idea of doing Ch 5 from Eric's POV and then having the two together in Ch 6. Please, let me know what you think.

So you can take a peek in my head:

Sookie's Lingerie http://i29[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/106nbjc[DOT]jpg

Sookie's Chocolate Brown Dress http://i28[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/eplpp2[DOT]jpg

Sookie's Shoes http://i27[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/zxnnkg[DOT]jpg

Sookie's Mint Green Chemise http://i30[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/t7e655[DOT]jpg

Sookie's Sundress (the next day) http://i26[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/e16dya[DOT]jpg

Shrug to go with the Sundress http://i31[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/wb5gyq[DOT]jpg

**

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Next chapter:** Ok, so if you noticed the author's note above, I'm asking for input on next chapter. Would you like to go straight to the Eric / Sookie date? Or would you like to see what sort of Eric is putting in to preparing to impress Sookie. Do you think he'll put any effort to it at all?

Reviews are the stuff that inspires me. Thanks for all who have already reviewed and please feel free to ask questions, I'll do my best to answer them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Things I Don't Own:** Eric's beautiful house on the lake, a Corvette, or any of the characters from the Southern Vampire Series

**Things I Do Own:** An exhausted body (seriously, I'm going to nap after I send this on to my Beta), a new found love for Joshua Radin, and most recently – a ticket to see Rob Thomas in concert, AND a ticket to see Jackson Rathbone with 100 Monkeys

**Songs That Inspired this Chapter:** Two layers of inspiration on this one: During Eric's POV: Dancing with Mephisto, Invisible Love, and Mea Culpa all by Enigma; Sookie POV: I'm Not In Love by 10CC and Only You by Joshua Radin. Honestly, I listened to Enigma and Josh Radin pretty much constantly while writing. They are very different music styles but one goes with Eric, and the other seems to be more Sookie.

**Heartfelt Thanks:** To everyone that is reviewing! I'm gob smacked really! To my husband for reading this even though it's mushy girlie stuff and he hasn't read the books or watched the series – he's a trooper – and to my Beta SouthernLady23. I bounce stuff off of her constantly and she helps me write the sexy stuff (which I'm new at). Thanks for always being available.

_**

* * *

A volcano exploded in my stomach and although I rarely speed, I felt my foot apply more pressure to the gas pedal as I held my breath and read the text.**_

"_**I await your arrival to mend the hurt that my unkindness has marred."**_

_**He'd done it again. **_

**

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Chapter 5**

Eric POV

[Eric's House]

It had been relatively easy to clear my schedule for the evening. Pam was not aware yet, but I was leaving her in charge of the bar tomorrow evening as well. If things proceeded as I planned, and my plans were most often successful, my Sookie would want to stay here until she had to work again.

That was another thing I wanted more control over. I did not like her working at the Shifter's Bar. I wanted her closer to me. I was grappling with these feelings I was experiencing with this unusual human. Sookie was, without a doubt, extraordinary. In the brief time I have known her; several males had grown much attached to her. Tonight I was facing the obvious; I too was as attached to her as much a 1,000 year old vampire could possibly be. I was more attached to her than I had ever been to anyone—ever. A chime of my cell phone interrupted my thought. I already knew it was Pam was texting me that Sookie would come to me.

Pam's text read, "SOOKIE WILL BE THERE AFTER HER SHIFT. ALL THE ITEMS YOU REQUESTED ARE IN THE FRIDGE."

My child was obedient but she was reticent to move in to this technological time. I hit the call button immediately.

"Yes."

Pam knew to withhold her normal disdain for everything with me.

"Pam, I will punish you if you send me another text, email, or any other computer generated document in all capital letters. You must be more accustomed to the times and that means realizing certain etiquette in this technological society. This is comparable to raising your voice and I will not tolerate it."

"Please accept my apology Master. It will not happen again."

"Understand my main concern is that you will offend a business associate with this. I want you to be as well respected as I know you deserve to be."

"Thank you for reminding me that even the little things do matter Master. Are you at your house yet? Did you find everything as you requested?"

"Yes Pam, you did everything as I asked. How was Sookie?"

"My telepathic friend is as unsure of herself as she normally is when it comes to you. If it wasn't so pitiful it would be funny."

"I do not understand. Why is she pitiful? She is strong and thoughtful. I do not see reason to pity someone with such strength of character."

"Eric, I pity her because I think she is terrified you're going to break her heart. You rarely care much about an injury you might incur to another being; be if physical or emotional. She recognizes that in you. I believe that's why she fights your advances, and her own feelings for you for that matter."

"I have taught you well. You have become very adept at reading creatures of all kinds. Did it take a great deal to convince Sookie? I really did not expect her to say no, but she does surprise me."

"No Eric, she acted a bit impetuous, but she agreed soon after she rambled along a bit."

"Did you have trouble en route?"

Pam knew she couldn't conceal any of her actions to me. She didn't think I would be upset, but hoped I would be more concerned with Sookie rather than what took her so long. Once again, in a subtle way, she understood I do not miss anything. I waited for her answer.

"I stopped by to see Bill."

"Why did you do that?"

"I wanted to encourage him to give up this idiotic pursuit of Sookie. I wanted that little obstacle out of your way and out of Sookie's way as well."

"I do not care what Bill wants. I am his Sheriff. I gave him his time with Sookie and he harmed her repeatedly. He will never have Sookie again."

"Of course, but Sookie wants to decide. If Bill stops lurking around her, there will be one less distraction for her. She will have a much easier time 'choosing' you."

"This is very interesting Pam. Although I am not threatened by Compton, I know Sookie would be better if he stopped acting so love-stricken with her. Do you think he was convinced after your conversation?"

"It seemed as though, but I am not sure. Time will tell if my little errand helped him."

"Very well Pam. It seems I may have to reward you for thinking outside of the box again. You may contemplate what I can offer you as ample reward if this proves to be fruitful."

"Well thank you Eric, I will consider it."

"Pam, I hope to also have Sookie stay throughout tomorrow evening. I will expect you to run Fangtasia tomorrow night in my absence."

I waited as I heard Pam take a deep breath. I knew this was a little trick she used to calm herself. I smiled knowing she was not pleased that I was leaving her with the pets two nights in a row. I also knew she would do it without complaint.

"Very well. Please let me know if you need anything further."

"I will. Also, I do want you to consider what will be sufficient repayment for your favor."

"Oh no worries about that Eric. I'm already considering."

"I know that you are my child. Represent me well tonight."

"There will be no problems. I assure you."

As I disconnected from Pam, I knew I did not have long to prepare for my Lover. I had not done this in hundreds of years, but I was confident I could give Sookie exactly what she wanted.

I went to the stereo system and put on some music. Although it was a relatively recent band, it was reminiscent of the things I'd enjoyed over the centuries. I knew it would seem foreign but it was also very sensual music. She would like it and it would seem like something I would enjoy.

Sookie wanted to know the side of me she thought I kept hidden. She wanted to know the things that brought me pleasure and what I loved. Little did she know, I hadn't felt true pleasure in centuries. Lots of things had felt good. I mean, I am a man and I enjoy things but everything had become so…mundane in my life before she walked in to the bar that night with Bill and surprised me.

She had continued to bewitch me ever since that night. Sookie always, without fail, did what I least expected; she fought me, and stood up to me. She so desperately to appear fearless and was braver than any human I had ever encountered.

My home was always clean but I asked the housekeeping service to come in today to clean again to ensure the house would be immaculate as I knew Sookie would appreciate this. Everything I had prepared was to impress her—it took me so long to realize she wanted that.

On the patio facing the water, I lit some candles and turned on the lights in the pool. I had even bought her a tiny swimsuit so that during the day tomorrow, she could sunbathe as she loved to. I stopped in my tracks and imagined the smell of the sun on her skin. It was one of the most heavenly scents I had ever experienced.

Once I was confident that all was up to Sookie's idea of perfection, I turned back to the house and headed into my unused kitchen. Pam had done what I'd asked and gathered all the food items I wanted and someone had arranged them exactly as I'd described.

It was a miniature smörgåsbord just as I remembered from my human life. There were many foods from my past that I knew Sookie would turn her nose up to and I had insured there was nothing with garlic included. As I made sure everything was as it should be arranged, I picked up a sliver of the salted herring I used to love and tasted it. It was just as I thought, although I can remember enjoying it immensely, it did nothing for my limited palate now and I spit it out.

I hadn't bothered to dress up for her. She would not want that. The more relaxed I was, the more she would be at ease. I was barefoot, with dark jeans and a dark cotton tank. I simply ran my fingers through my hair and had almost made everything ready for her arrival.

I walked back out the French doors onto the patio and stood listening to the sounds of the water. The hushed tones of the music piped out from the house and I concentrated on her. I listened for her blood call to me. I closed my eyes and inhaled the kaleidoscope of scents around me and sorted them all to find hers.

She was near. I calculated that she would be within the gates of the neighborhood within ten minutes. I reached in to my pocket for my phone and punched her number.

"Hello?"

"Lover, you are almost here. I am going to open the garage for you to park inside."

I heard it, even over the phone, her breath hitched and her response was husky.

"Oh…okay."

"I will see you shortly."

It felt as if my cold, dead heart was pounding in anticipation.

* * *

Sookie POV

[En route to Eric's House]

I had just passed into the gates of the area where Eric lived. I was driving slowly down his street looking for the right house when I noted the only house on the block where the outside lights were on. I knew his place would dazzle, and it was perfectly Eric.

The house seemed huge from the street. It had a well maintained lawn and a driveway that curved in to the front doors and back out onto the street as well as veering to the right into a cavernous garage. There were tons of windows on the front of the house and I thought for a moment how that worked for him; maybe he had a hidey-hole like Bill, but I remember in Rhodes, Eric slept in the bed in the light-tight room when I rescued him and Pam.

As I pulled in to the driveway, I noted the front door was a set of elegant double doors like you see on mansions. (Well, this WAS a mansion in my eyes.) The doors were a rich stained wood with cut-glass centers. It was a two-story structure in a tan brick with wooden shutters on all the windows that matched the color of the double doors perfectly.

I felt the spring deep inside of me coil itself a little tighter as I pulled around the corner of the house to the garage and pulled my old car up next to Eric's Corvette. Eric walked out a door into the garage as opened the car door and my heart stopped. I know that it stopped because Eric stopped in his tracks and looked at me like he'd seen a ghost.

I couldn't speak if my life had depended on it. My heart slammed so hard in my chest, I actually felt it begin to pulse again. Eric held his hand out to me as he made the remaining steps to my side. As he reached down to take my hand in his, I uttered his name. I had this, out of body experience, listening to my voice. It sounded like that girl in Dirty Dancing, when she was in Patrick Swayze's cabin and she told him, "_I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you._"

For a minute, I had that heart stopping, breath taking, romantic voice. It came out of me! And Eric heard it too. He pulled me in to him. I took in his scent; it was a musky clean smell that I only associated with Eric. He was still holding fast to my hand but his free hand began trailing lightly up my arm.

His thumb grazed my neck and stroked my jaw-line ever so softly. He looked down into my eyes and held my gaze as my name rolled softly off his tongue like silk.

He gently pulled my face to his and laid the softest kiss on my lips. It was tender and slow and had to be in the Top 5 Eric kisses I had ever had. He was so good at kissing. His kisses always started feather soft and full of tenderness and this was no exception.

He continued to softly kiss me as he moved both of his hands to my face. His thumbs were rubbing light circles on my chin as his fingers caressed my cheeks and ears. I know I moaned softly and grabbed his bottom lip with my teeth and gently nipped. His kiss became deeper and more passionate.

Unfortunately for me, I had this terrible habit of needing to breathe. As I came up for air, I thought we didn't need to stand in the open garage all night.

"Eric, all we going to stand out here all night?"

"I'm sorry Lover, I just could not wait another minute to do that. Please, come in and welcome to my home."

The door Eric had come out of led to the kitchen. It wasn't a huge country kitchen but he was a vampire so it wasn't necessary for him. The room, hell maybe the whole house, had mood lighting. There was a small chandelier about the island but it was dimmed, almost like candlelight.

I took in the room but as I looked to my right, there was an electric stovetop covered with this spread of food. I turned to look at Eric and my mouth was hanging open.

"Eric, did you do this?"

"Did I prepare it? No, but I did order it and I even arranged some of it on my own. It is a smörgåsbord similar to when I was human, but of course, smaller. I thought you might like to experience some of the things I once enjoyed. Are you hungry?"

"Oh my gosh Eric! Really? I'm so into this! Please tell me about it."

"Well first of all, I have bottled water and iced tea for you in the fridge. I also have a bottle of Linie aquavit, which is a drink from my homelands. Would you like something to drink?"

"Oh Eric, I'll drink water while I sample all this food but I do want to try the other after. Is that okay?"

"That is perfectly fine Sookie. This is all for you so it will be as you prefer."

Eric grabbed a water bottle from his fridge as well as a True Blood. He sat the True Blood on the countertop and turned his attention back to me.

"So where do I start?"

Eric grinned and picked something off of the tray. He came toward me and I realized he was gong to feed me. I opened my mouth and he fed me what tasted like some sort of fish.

"This is salted Herring. It is a food we lived off of especially in the winters when food supplies were scarce. It is not the best of my homeland's foods but it was something I ate a great deal of."

I tasted it and decided I wasn't fond of it. It reminded me of being suckered into eating anchovies once as a kid; but this was an experience. I tasted it and showed Eric I was ready for something else.

"This is Lefse and I rolled some dill-cured salmon in it."

"This looks like a tortilla. They make tacos with them."

"Yes, I have heard of these. Lefse is made with potatoes instead of corn meal. I am sure there more modern American foods mean more to you than I."

Eric had handed me, what looked for all intents and purposes, a skinny burrito. I bit in to it and decided it was much tastier than the herring. I'd enjoyed grilled salmon before and I loved the dill sauce that came with the dish I was familiar with. I like the dill cooked on the salmon and the roll was so much like a tortilla, it was hard to explain the difference. I ate the whole little burrito and drank some water.

The handsome blonde Viking then fed me crawfish, which his country called crayfish, and the biggest shrimp I'd ever seen. He told me they were called prawns and they were delicious. I was glad that I was sampling little bits of each thing or I would've been full, and miserable, pretty quick.

I noticed there was a bunch of familiar fruits on the platter as well. I needed to let what was I my stomach settle for a bit before I snacked anymore or I would be miserably unsexy. That was the last thing I wanted.

"Eric can you show me some more of your beautiful house?"

"Of course, are you no longer hungry?"

"No, I want to eat some more of this wonderful food but I need to take a little break or I won't be able to enjoy it. You know all things in moderation, right?"

"I see, well please, let me show you more of my home. This of course, is what they call the formal dining room, although I never dine."

I giggled at him. I knew this room was for appearances. We moved on through the house. The dining room opened up to a living room that looked like he might spend time there, there were tall windows that overlooked the back side of his house and I thought I saw the lake from the windows but I was trying to take so much in at once that I only glanced.

These rooms were a champagne color and the floors were hardwood. In front of a marble fireplace, there was an eclectic furniture grouping. The couch looked very comfy; someplace I'd love to curl up with a book. The chairs weren't my style and seemed formal, but did somehow match the other furniture.

I saw the French doors that led to a dimly lit patio and I wanted to see it but he led me down a hallway. There was a large guest room. It was furnished in basic furniture, bed, dresser, and nightstand with a lamp, which I knew was probably worth more than I made in a week at Merlotte's.

There were windows in this room. I could see the light from the outside lights of the front of the house peek through so I knew he didn't sleep here.

"This room is for guests. If you notice the door, it leads into a rather large closet that is light-tight if I need to offer a place to another sheriff or other important vampire was to require a resting place."

I nodded. I wondered if a human had ever stayed here.

"No. Never."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You were wondering if a woman had ever stayed here, a human, the answer is no. Actually, no one has ever stayed the night in this house except me. I am very careful about my privacy and, like all vampires, my resting place. You are the only person that has ever been invited to stay in this house with me."

"How…how did you know I was thinking that? This blood bond thing doesn't allow you to read my mind does it—because I am not okay with that."

"Sookie calm down, I did not read you mind, I can sense some emotions due to the blood bond but usually best when they are intense emotions. On top of that, I responded to your body language. First, I felt a sudden expanse of sadness from you; then you gripped my hand tighter and your hands seem to be the first part of your body that takes your tension."

"You got all that from my tightening my grip on your hand? I mean, yes I was thinking that but I'm usually much better about covering up my reactions to others. Am I really that bad at it?"

"No, you are not bad at it. I am sure a human would not have noticed any of your typical stressors unless they knew you very well. I am not human and I know you very, very well. I make a point to know you well."

I stood in the non-descript guest room and had to gather myself for a minute. Eric moved to face me and leaned in to smell my hair. Vampires were so weird about smell but I never really minded Eric's fascination as I had so often with others. He was pulling out all the stops tonight.

I looked up to meet his eyes and knew they would me smoldering. He had smoldering eyes down to an art. I wanted to kiss him; I had to kiss him again. I reached up to run my fingers through his hair and gently touched my lips to his.

I lingered there for a moment. I wanted to memorize exactly how his lips felt on mine. I was sure that if Eric could read my mind, there would be fireworks brighter than the 4th of July. I knew he could hear my blood pumping through every vein in my body because I felt it moving.

Eric made a soft noise, more than a whimper, but not quite a moan. It set all of me on fire but he pulled away to speak.

"Shall I show you the rest of the house or just have you right here?"

"I don't know, how much more is there?"

I did my very best eye-lash batting when I asked this because I was working the flirt big time. Before I knew what had happened, Eric had swung me up in his arms and was carrying me back through the house toward the stairs.

He made it up the stairs in a flash, stood in a large open area.

"This is the game room and gym. Are you interesting in running or perhaps playing Grand Theft Auto?"

"Nope. I don't need to work our or shoot someone on a video game right now. Anything else I need to see up here?"

He was still carrying me and I was giggling like a school girl. The upstairs seemed to be split into two parts. He turned and passed the staircase to the other side and walked in to a set of heavy double doors. The doors were serious! They would seem excessive as interior doors anywhere but a vamps house, but I knew this was where he slept.

"This is where I rest, my bedroom."

I moved so he would set me back on the floor. I really wanted to see this room. There was no coffin; no box or a space for a hidey-hole. This looked like a human room. There was an enormous bed that looked as if it was a mattress built on a box. It seemed very modern and would never go in my old farmhouse.

This room seemed to not even go with the rest of the house. The walls were a gray shade that caused the dark wood of the bed to virtually blend in. The bedding was varying degrees of grey and violet with splashes of white. There was a basic dresser and two nightstands that matched and all were varnished sparingly.

This room was Eric from floor to ceiling. There was no clutter. He had none of the normal, cluttering needs we have as humans like; a glass of water by the bed, maybe a box of tissue. He only had a single lamp on each nightstand. They looked like big eggs and then he flipped a wall switch and they glowed.

I slowly walked around the room, softly touching every piece of furniture, feeling the textures and soaking in the atmosphere. The fire was once again building in my core and I didn't know that I could calm it in this room, with my blonde Viking before me in all his glory.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at Eric.

"You understand I want you to answer some questions for me tonight, right?"

"Yes Lover. I will be completely honest with you. Tonight is ours."

I looked at him for a moment longer and then put one leg out to him.

"Will you take my shoes off for me? The clasp is a little hard for me."

At vampire speed, Eric was on one knee and one shoe had already hit the floor. He tongue trailed from my ankle up to my thigh just at the hem of my very short dress. He laid his head on my thigh and I knew he was feeling the pulse of my femoral artery. His fangs extended and he ran his hands up and down the length of both of my legs.

He stood up in front of me and pushed my shoulders back on to the bed. I laid back and he pressed his long, hard body down on me and began kissing me. His mouth was so delectable. Eric had worked on this art for a thousand years and his natural chemistry, coupled with all the practice I knew he had, made him a certifiable expert in my opinion. His touches were simply the best.

I ran my tongue down the curve of his neck and smelled him. He smelled like vanilla and lime and sandalwood. I didn't know what he showered in but I wanted to wash my sheets in it. I nipped slightly at his ear and he moaned as worked to remove my dress and explore my trembling body.

I grasped for the bottom of his tank top and pulled it over his head. My mind was going into overload; sensory overload. His touch, his mouth, his face, his beautiful bedroom, the cool feel of his skin against me—everything was coming at me at once and it made Katrina look like a summer storm in Louisiana.

"Eric, I can't wait any longer. Please."

"Those are the words I have longed for."

He looked at me intently and began removing the rest of our clothes. Slowly, he traced his fingertips across my naked body, making it feel like sparks were flying from my skin with every touch. As he grazed the underside of my breast and pinched my nipple, the fire within my body was forcing all of my energy to my heated core.

He wasted no time and entered me in haste. It's such an unusual feeling to experience heat and cold all at once while your senses virtually overload, but this was my Eric. I didn't know why, but it was an experience I associated with him. I had been in such a heightened state of arousal since he kissed me when I'd arrived, that it took no time for my muscles to tighten and my toes to curl.

It was painfully obvious that we both needed this release. Eric followed quickly once he felt me tighten around him and without hesitation bit into my neck below my ear. I arched my neck toward his mouth and let him take what I knew belonged to him.

And at once, it all fell into place. He licked my neck, closing the tiny wounds and rolled off of me on to his side.

I rolled to my side to face him and kissed him again. I grabbed his bottom lip again with my teeth and bit. His lips were better than anything he had put together for me in his kitchen.

"Sookie, you belong to me."

With an accepting sigh I said, "I know Eric. I do. I just need to understand what I feel for you and what's magic. I want to know what's real."

"I must feed you. Let us go downstairs. I will show you the pool. I know that you like the sun. You will enjoy my patio tomorrow."

"Eric, do you sleep in here? There are windows, how do you keep it light tight?"

"I have had this room modified to be an acceptable place for me during sunlight. I will show you how everything works before we go to bed. Come, you can have some food, some of the drink from my country, and I will show you the pool."

He pulled me up off the bed and handed me a silk robe. I didn't know where it had came from but it was beautiful and fit me perfectly.

"Eric, is this for me?"

"Yes Lover, I have bought you a few other things I will show you shortly. But come downstairs."

I allowed Eric to lead me back downstairs and wondered what else this night would hold for me.

**

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A/N:** This has been exhausting to write! It's also much longer than my chapters so far and it isn't done yet but I needed to break it into two chapters because it's so long. Everyone who voted whether to do straight to the date or to do an Eric POV, I'm doing both so I've got the Eric POV here and part of the date. The furniture I imagined in Eric's room is from Copenhagen Furniture of Colorado. I tried to go more Scandinavian but the designs were so sparse and light, I didn't imagine Eric's room light and airy. The lamps were very cool; hand blown glass orbs. Links to see the images are below.

So you can take a peek in my head:

Eric's House http://i29[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/25zjzm0[DOT]jpg

Eric's Pool and Lake View http://i29[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/mm9clc[DOT]jpg

Eric's Bedroom Furniture http://i31[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/25k4dp1[DOT]jpg

Eric's Cool Bedroom Lamps http://i27[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/2vs0p6x[DOT]jpg

Sookie's Kimono from Eric http://i26[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/2zrm6hc[DOT]jpg

**

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Next chapter:** Obviously, the next chapter will continue with the events that happen at Eric's house. Most prominently will be the conversation about how they feel about one another. You know Eric is a man above all, so he will struggle to express himself especially since he hasn't really even wanted this sort of connection in centuries.

Thanks again for all reviews!


	6. Chapter 6

**Things I Don't Own:** Anything and Anyone from the Southern Vampire Series. All belongs to CH; I just play with them a little

**Things I Do Own:** A ticket to see 100 Monkeys tomorrow night, a bottle of Liquid Vinyl nail polish by OPI, and some new tunes by Joshua Radin who is my current muse.

**Songs That Inspired this Chapter:** 18th Floor Balcony by Blue October, What It Takes by Aerosmith, and They Bring Me to You by Joshua Radin

**Heartfelt Thanks:** To everyone who reads and reviews! I really appreciate your comments and encouragement and to my Beta SouthernLady23. She rawks!

_**

* * *

He pulled me up off the bed and handed me a silk robe. I didn't know where it had came from but it was beautiful and fit me perfectly. **_

"_**Eric, is this for me?"**_

"_**Yes Lover, I have bought you a few other things I will show you shortly. But come downstairs."**_

_**I allowed Eric to lead me back downstairs and wondered what else this night would hold for me.**_

**

* * *

Chapter 6**

Sookie POV

[Eric's House]

Eric led me through the French doors and out to a stone patio. There were candles lit on the patio table and torches around the edge of the shimmering pool that caught my eyes. I'd never seen a pool look so magical.

"Eric, there's a pool! But…it looks like it runs off into the lake."

"Yes, it's an infinity pool. There is a basin below the water line. The pool spills into the basin, creating a waterfall effect on the sides. The water runs from there back into the pump to come back into the pool. It is designed to seem like it is part of the lake."

"Do you ever use the pool? I mean, do vampires swim?"

"I do not use it a lot, but I do enjoy the hot tub. Maybe you will swim with me?"

"I'd love to take a dip in the pool. I didn't bring a swimsuit."

"I have one for you upstairs; in the dresser in my bedroom."

"Which drawer in the dresser?"

"Just look until you find the right drawer. You will know which one it is and understand I have nothing to hide from you. Would you like me to feed you more food?"

"Feed me?"

"Do you want anything else to eat, a drink perhaps?"

"Oh…I'd like some of the fruit and I would like to try that drink you got. The one you told me about."

"The Linie?"

"Yes that. Not a lot. I don't drink often so a little goes a long way with me."

"Very well. Go upstairs and change. I will be waiting for you on the patio."

I walked upstairs to change and wondered who this man was downstairs that had taken over Eric's body. This man was kind, attentive, thoughtful, and romantic. Eric was always attentive to me so I wasn't really giving him his due on that area, but he was not someone who came to mind when you used the terms kind, thoughtful, or romantic.

We had left the lamps on in the bedroom so I walked straight to the dresser. I was uncomfortable feeling like I was rifling through someone's things. I didn't like anyone in my dresser even though I didn't have anything to hide. The only person that I was ever okay with being in my things was Gran.

I gazed at all the drawers, and was at a loss where he would put things for me. My eyes gravitated to the bottom and furthest drawer. I knelt down and pulled it open only to find it empty. "Okay…that's weird," I thought to myself. I opened the drawer above it and found a few things; all of which had tags on them. There were a few pairs of cotton yoga pants and some tank tops. Beneath these, I also found a soft, thick hooded sweatshirt. I found it odd they all had tags on them; all were my size—still no swimsuit.

Without even thinking, I opened the top drawer in this row of three. There I found the swimsuits; actually there were three of them. All seemed to be essentially the same style; string bikinis in solid colors; one a blood orange; another a sunny yellow, and the third a dark, royal blue. I picked up the orange one and noticed beautiful, polished black stones in the center of the top and on both the hips of the bottoms.

As I held the suit in my hand, I couldn't help but look further in the drawer and found some lingerie including: a few beautiful lace bra and panty sets and a couple of silk spaghetti strap nightgowns. All of them had the tags still attached and all in my size. I've never had anyone buy me so many things. It couldn't all be for me, but I remembered what Eric said about no one ever staying here.

I quickly pulled the tags off the suit and slipped it. I noted that it fitted perfectly. I slipped back on the kimono and hurried down the stairs to see Eric thinking about what he is wearing. After he gave me the robe, he had slipped on a pair of soft cotton pajama pants. They hung low on his hips and drew your eyes to the chiseled muscles creating that 'V' at a man's waist that has to be one of the hottest things in the world.

The French doors were open and I heard music softly playing. It was music unlike I'd ever heard in the South. The music was calming and smooth. I couldn't even tell what it was and I heard voices but didn't think it was someone singing.

Eric had gotten me a plate of fruit from inside and there was a glass of golden liquid in a crystal glass. The drink was cool as the glass was already forming a layer of frost on the outside. I didn't see him immediately and glanced around.

"I'm here, Lover."

I noticed his pants were on the ground. I turned to the pool and he was reclining against the edge of the hot tub looking like a model, and I knew he was not wearing a stitch. My stomach did a flip flop and I couldn't contain the smile that spread across my face.

"Bring the plate and glass over here and climb in. The water is warm. You will like it."

At this point, I didn't even think. I just did what he told me. I laid the kimono on the chair near the table, picked up the plate and glass, and tried to glide across the stones to the hot tub. He took the plate from my hand and set it on the pool's edge beside him. Then he took my hand and pulled me into the water.

The water was warm and relaxing and bore a striking contrast to the cool drink Eric handed me. As I took a sip, he explained the history of the drink.

"This is Linie Aquavit. It is similar to spirits I drank in my human life but this is a better quality and has only been around for about eighty years. It is similar to a vodka; but made from potatoes instead of grains."

"It's a little strong, but do I taste a slight sweetness in it?"

"Yes, there is a sweet tinge to it. It is matured in Sherry casks. Linie is famous for its distillery process. It is housed in sherry casks, and stored on ship decks where it travels on ship across the equator twice. The extreme temperature changes and the gentle sway of the ship during the voyage are said to give it the flavor is it famous for."

"Wow! Even your liquor has a story behind it! You have so much history don't you?"

"I have experienced much. Does it bore you?"

"No, not at all Eric. I love talking to you. You are truly, one of my favorite people to talk to."

"Well that is good, but am I not your favorite in other areas? Here, have some strawberries, maybe some melon" Eric said as he picked up a bite of cantaloupe and slowly dropped it in my mouth.

There were other lists in my mind where Eric was at the top. He was the best kisser on the planet as far as I was concerned and sex with him was like checking in to a five star hotel. I began to notice there were things I'd never considered Eric might be very good at.

He gently stroked my bottom lip as he watched me chew the melon. I smiled a nervous smile as I swallowed the fruit, his stare was penetrating and I felt myself squirm as my core burned again.

He leaned over to kiss me and pulled me to his lap. He encircled me with his arms, my back was against his stomach and I was right in my guess that he didn't have a stitch on that god-like body of his. I was going to have to focus in order to really talk to him.

"Why did you send Pam to ask me to come here instead of Bobby?"

"I did not trust Bobby to handle my directions accordingly. He will follow my orders literally and I know that he…"

"You know that he doesn't like me."

"I know that he does not see what I see in you; what Pam and even Compton sees in you. He sees you as plain. He is a human—a painfully normal human. I know that you often think I command you. I wanted you to feel welcome tonight; to feel invited, not ordered."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"I know that it's not a normal thing for you to ask anyone for anything. I appreciate that you went through the motions of asking, even though I think if I had said no, you wouldn't have given me a choice."

"I am glad you agreed to accept my invitation. As you have noticed, I have gone through more trouble than I normally go to for essentially anyone; but you are correct, I would have simply come to you."

Eric's lips curled into a smile as he spoke with his normal candor. There was a trace of Mr. Wonderful Amnesiac. I wondered if he seemed to really remember the bliss that I did from the time he was safely kept in Bon Temps.

The only other time I'd seen even bit of tenderness in him was the few moments at my home when he had conceded to pledge his allegiance to Felipe de Castro, the King of Nevada. He had gone into my room to call Clancy at Fangtasia in private. I had walked into the bedroom for a human moment and found him sitting on my bed with his head in his hands.

He had admitted remembering his time in my home. He had said, "_I can't believe I felt something so strongly and was so happy for the first time in hundreds of years._" I had pocketed that statement for reflection later at the time because I was exhausted from being a witness to the hostile takeover by Nevada; from facing such an ugly reality about Quinn; and from being terrified that Eric would be eliminated.

It was this series of events and my reflection of how I really felt about them that led me here. Led me to Eric's house, with him naked and wrapped around me, in a hot tub. Maybe I was finally doing the right things for me.

"How are things with the new King? Do you feel like things will be safe for you?"

"I have worked many things out with the new leadership, but he has shown in this takeover that I should stay on point. He does not know for sure that I am loyal. I need you to understand that he is interested in you."

"What do you mean he's interested in me? When I helped save you and the King from Sigebert, he said he was in my debt, what does he want with me?"

"Sookie, you have proven very useful to me, to Sophie Anne, and now even to Felipe. If he can find a way to have you at his right hand in Nevada to be his personal lie detector in all of his dealings, he will do it."

"I don't want to leave my home! This is where I belong. What can I do to keep this from happening?"

"Although I do want you as mine for totally personal reasons, if you are bonded to me and I claim you as mine, he cannot claim you."

"But he is the King and you are just a Sheriff. I don't mean to belittle your station, but can't he sort of, one up you, like Sophie Anne did at the Summit?"

"There are ways I can protect you. You do not seem to like the tactics I use for this. You have called me high-handed more than once and although I think I understand, could you explain the term?"

"You are always making choices for others without asking them how they feel about them. You make decisions and you decide for everyone."

"If that is high-handed, then I guess I do fit that description."

Eric paused for a moment and brushed a lock of my hair behind my ear. He picked up a strawberry and popped it in my mouth. I could tell he was thoughtful and maybe, he even put the strawberry in my mouth so I would stay quiet for a moment.

"For all intents and purposes, Felipe could take you as his own at any time. He is powerful enough that he could essentially kidnap you and force you into subservience. However, you are one of the strongest-willed humans I've ever met so the situation would be very dangerous for you."

"I would rather die than be his personal lie detector."

"I believe you and if he was to take you by force, I am almost certain you would either die or be changed. Felipe would change you himself in order to have you as his child and bind you to follow his commands. He would take what you have fought so hard to maintain—your independence."

"I'm very conflicted about you Eric. It's so difficult to tell if your actions are based in how you feel about me or how I can best serve you. You are so cold and calculating most of the time, but sometimes it seems like you do care for me."

"I find it interesting that you have not considered that I can manage both. One thing I do not think I am…is simple."

"Eric you are so far from simple! You are one of the most complex people I've ever met!"

"If you view me as complex, why can you not consider that I might care for you in a personal manner while also valuing you for your talents and strength from a business perspective? Has it ever occurred to you that Sam balances these two concepts in regards to you and wants to protect you? Why do you accept it so easily from him, yet you reject it from me?"

I considered what Eric had just said. Sam's feelings for me were something I'd been aware of for some time and even though I didn't feel the same way, I accepted help from him anytime I was lucky enough to get it. Why was it so hard for me to accept Eric's overprotective manner?

I felt like I was standing on the edge of an abyss. I could feel my thoughts falling into place like the final pieces of a puzzle where you knew, all of the sudden, what you were looking at. I was having a moment of clarity; an epiphany is what my word of the day calendar called it. I had known driving to Shreveport earlier that tonight was going to change everything in my life. I'd known it, accepted it, and now, I knew I was welcoming it.

I took a thoughtful sip of the strong drink Eric had fixed me and considered that I had accepted Bill with open arms when we began our relationship, with no questions asked. It had proven to be painful because, although I was completely open with him, he had been less forthcoming with me about his past and the dark parts of himself.

I hadn't asked enough questions, only to find out later that much of the foundation of the love I felt for him was built upon lies. He was sent to play me for Sophie-Anne. At the opposite end of the spectrum, here was my Viking; he was often painfully honest and brutally candid. Eric never sugar-coated things to me and never thought deceit was a method to protect me.

He readily gave me all the things I'd never gotten from Bill; the things Bill purposefully kept from me that led to my heartbreak and our break-up. I finally knew why I fought Eric's dominance over me so strongly. I turned my gaze onto him and reached out.

I turned in his arms to be face-to-face with him. I forced my legs around his waist and looked in his eyes. I could feel his arousal pulse against me as I breathed in his scent. Eric looked at me and waited. He was always patient with me, he let me work through things in my mind; gave me time to choose my words carefully. I guessed being over a thousand years old gave you the virtue of patience and he obviously had it in spades.

I reached up to stroke the back of his neck. I leaned in and kissed him with the passion of a lover. When my need for breathing would no longer wait, I broke the kiss, laid my head on his shoulder, and felt his hands glide softly up and down my back.

"I'm scared Eric."

"What are you scared of?"

"I'm scared that I'm going to get hurt. I want to be with you. I want you to be my boyfriend, even though that doesn't seem like the right term for you. I've refused your help unless there was no other way around it because I think I want you to fill that role in my life; the role of someone who cares for me and wants to take care of me. I'm afraid to let myself think that you care because if I do, and I have to face that I am little more than an investment to you, I'm not sure I'd recover from the pain."

"Think about what I said the night Victor was in Bon Temps. I said I couldn't believe I was that happy. You must consider that living over a thousand years will allow you to witness every despicable act imaginable and even more that you could never imagine. As I have aged, I have had little use for others, more often than not, they only disappoint you."

"I have some idea. I hear the absolute worst in people – at least humans. It's why I don't have success dating normal guys."

"You have surprised me. You have entertained me with your will, strength, and determination. You are fiercely loyal, even to those who do not deserve it, and honorable. It has been many centuries since I met a being that possessed all of these qualities at once."

"But Eric, I make many wrong decisions and it seems like I'm always jeopardizing someone I love. I always make mistakes."

"Sookie you may make mistakes, but you make those mistakes with the best intentions and those intentions are what I see so rarely. You have piqued my interest like no other has in a long time."

"So, because I am basically an okay Christian, you are surprised. This says a lot about the world we live in."

"I also think you are well-matched to me. Our bodies fit together well," Eric said and as if the act reinforced this statement, he tossed my top on the stone patio before I ever knew he'd untied it. His lips began trailing down my neck and towards my cleavage. I leaned back looking at the dark night sky and listening to the sounds of the water and the night.

"I know that you do not like me to say this Lover, but you are mine. You belong with me."

I leaned into him and my tongue trailed to his ear. I bit his ear gently and whispered the question that I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer to.

"What if you get tired of me? I'm scared that one day you will."

His wrapped his arms around me and I pressed my bare breasts against his marble chest. He whispered into my ear, "I will not grow tired of you in your lifetime. A human lifetime to me is like a decade to you, maybe even less."

"Somehow, facing the fact that my life is so short doesn't make me feel any better."

"Lover, I would gladly bring you over, but I did not think you wanted that."

"I didn't think I'd ever want to be made a vampire. It's something I've never had a second thought on."

"Are you saying you are considering it now?"

"I don't know. I'm thinking more about leaving you. I'm thinking of you being with me for my lifetime. I'm thinking will you still want me when I'm elderly and I look like I could be your grandmother."

"Becoming vampire is something you must consider very seriously. It is not like my human life, when becoming vampire meant losing everything you held dear in you existence. Vampire mainstreaming has allowed for the transition to go much smoother now, but it is a forever sentence and after a thousand years, I can tell you it gets very old."

"I don't want you to change me now. I was only thinking of being old and gray and being jealous and vain."

"I do not want to change you now either. There is something else I would much rather do to you now," he said in a whisper and his lips met mine as he lifted me off of him and onto the edge of the hot tub. As he stood in the warm, bubbling water, devastatingly close to me, his kiss grew deeper, more intense, and a thrill ran through me; a million butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

His hands were holding my waist and I scooted closer to him enjoying the sensation I got from his hands on my bare skin. His hands began sliding slowly up and down my sides, heating me up further as I struggled to remember to keep breathing.

His hands moved higher to graze the swell of my breast and I gasped in excitement. His thumbs made a circular motion as he began to gently knead my breasts. I could feel the heat between my legs radiate throughout my body as his thumb grazed my hardened nipple, I tried to stifle a whimper and he grinned at the noise that I couldn't hide from his vampire senses.

In another swift motion, my bikini bottom was tossed aside and he pulled me to him where there was no space between us. There was a slight breeze brushing across the water and as it came into contact with our bodies and I shivered.

My hands were moving as if on they had a mind of their own. I slid my fingers past his shoulders and stroked the defined muscles of his back as well as his solid arms. He leaned into my neck as he took in a breath and began kissing the skin below my ear and under my jaw.

His cool tongue trailed lightly across my collar bone and then he began to descend downward. I felt the tickle of his fangs as he reached my breasts with his mouth. He was moving so slowly, so deliberately; he was enjoying watching me reach my boiling point.

Eric was so good at this. His golden hair hung over his eyes and I sucked in a breath as he gently pulled my tight point into his mouth. I threw my legs around his waist in a burst of frenzy. He looked up at me and I could see his eyes were smoldering with lust. He moaned low and rough and I knew I was doing that to him.

I knew that with my legs wrapped tightly around him, the source of the fire inside me was pressed firmly against his manhood. He lifted my legs up in the air and slowly slid his hands from my ankles up to my calves, behind my knees, caressed the back of my thighs, and came to rest his big hands on my bottom. He held me firmly and lifted me off the tub edge.

I wiggled my hips and positioned my wet center above his length and heard a hiss escape his lips. He gave it right back by rocking ever so slightly against my heated center. My head rolled back as I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me. This felt amazing but I wasn't sure how much longer I could wait to take him inside me.

"Do you belong to me Lover?" Eric whispered in my ear as he nipped my ear lobe.

"Uh huh," I said. I was drowning in Eric at the moment, and I would've given him anything he asked for.

"Tell me. Say it."

"I belong to you Eric," I panted. As I uttered these words, I knew it was what he wanted to hear and it set him on fire. I leaned in to kiss him and he kissed me back. I unconsciously rubbed myself again against hardness. His breath caught and our kiss grew rough and frantic.

The deep kisses made fire shoot from me in hot bursts and I couldn't help continuing to rub against him in a steady rhythm. I was moaning and as the friction between our bodies increased I got louder. Our bodies were touching powerfully and I was beginning to feel a deep throbbing that I knew would explode into fireworks soon.

I took his bottom lip between my teeth; I pulled it into my mouth, tracing the length of it with my tongue. He had the most incredible bottom lip ever. I couldn't wait any longer and I squirmed until I was positioned to take his length. I pulled my face away from his and prepared to beg.

"Please Eric, I need you."

"Anything for you Lover."

He slid slowly inside of me and my insides conformed around him. This feeling of our bodies locking into place was heavenly and he paused there and kissed me. His tongue began dancing with mine as I felt the sharp edges of his fangs on my lips.

He withdrew slightly, and I breathed in, and then pushed back in with a little more force. I curled my legs tighter around his waist and he found a rhythm. I started moving my hips in time with his and fisted his hair.

"Oh Eric, right there. You feel so good."

I was feeling the throbbing of my insides as his motion steadily pushed into me. His nose grazed the skin from my ear down to the crevice near my collar bone, and it was almost pornographic how it made me feel knowing he was taking in my scent when he did this. I braced myself to feel the sting of his teeth as he bit into my soft flesh.

A squeal came out of me as I begin to shudder my release and he sunk his teeth into my neck and bit. My muscles tightened around him and I looked up to the sky to see if the fireworks were only inside me. Eric did this very, very well. He took one final plunge into my depths and moaned softly as he exploded inside me, crushing his bloodied lips to mine.

As he kissed me, I couldn't explain to anyone how erotic it was to taste my blood on his lips. If I made a list of pros and cons about being with Eric, sex with him would be at the top of my 'Pro' list and having him boss me would be at the top of the 'Con' list. His ability to listen would also be a 'Pro' while his lack of consideration of the feelings of others would be a 'Con.'

As he sat back down in the hot tub and I tried to breathe again, I knew that his good points were things I really loved and his not-so-good things were things that irritated me, but they weren't deal-breakers in my world. They were gnats in the ointment that was my life, but not things that made me walk away from him.

"You're right."

"What exactly are you conceding to agree with me on?"

"You're right when you say I belong to you. I don't know how it's happened, but I don't want to be with anyone but you."

"I'm glad you have come to your senses. You should know by now I usually am right."

He grinned as he said this and I couldn't help but laugh at his cockiness. It was totally Eric.

"Let's get out of the water. I'm cold and hungry again."

"Very well, I can tell I need to bring more food into the house."

We climbed out of the water and I gathered up our clothes while Eric picked up my plate and glass. I watched as he walked towards the French doors. The light from the house framed his silhouette and I took in the vision before my eyes.

I didn't know how we were going to make this work out, but I knew I had to be with him.

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A/N:** The drink Eric gets for Sookie, Linie aquavit is pronounced (LINN-yuh AH-keh-veet) and it is available for purchase online.

So you can take a peek in my head:

Eric's House http://i29[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/25zjzm0[DOT]jpg

Eric's Pool and Lake View http://i29[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/mm9clc[DOT]jpg

Sookie's Kimono from Eric http://i26[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/2zrm6hc[DOT]jpg

Sookie's Bikini: http://i29[DOT]tinypic[DOT]com/2ahxlq0[DOT]jpg

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Next chapter:** Sookie and Eric's epic night will continue. I know it's stretching over a few chapters but there is a lot I want to cover here and I'm trying to keep the chapters around the same length. If you have any questions that you would like to have answered or you think some element is missing, please let me know

Thanks again for all reviews!


	7. Chapter 7

**Things I Don't Own:** Sookie, Eric, Pam, or any other fabulous characters from Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries. Darn it!

**Things I Do Own:** a kid that starts school tomorrow (thank goodness!), a pool that needs chemicals, and a sadness of what I will do on Sunday nights in three weeks.

**Songs That Inspired this Chapter:** Down In it and Closer by Nine Inch Nails and Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crüe

**Heartfelt Thanks:** To everyone who reads and reviews! I really appreciate your comments and encouragement and to my Beta SouthernLady23 who was a blast while writing this chapter.

**A/N: **Okay everyone, consider this your warning to pull out the kinky stuff before reading this chapter and put your sunglasses on in case the lemons squirt you in the eye. I don't know where it came from, but this chapter just turned into one big lemon. I hope you enjoy and consider this as penance from me for taking so long to update.

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We climbed out of the water and I gathered up our clothes while Eric picked up my plate and glass. I watched as he walked towards the French doors. The light from the house framed his silhouette and I took in the vision before my eyes. **

**I didn't know how we were going to make this work out, but I knew I had to be with him.**

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Chapter 7**

Sookie POV

[Eric's House]

I took the plate and glass from Eric and walked into his kitchen. I began putting up the remaining food and set the dishes in the sink to wash.

"You do not have to do that. I have a housekeeper that will clean all this up."

"I know I don't have to do it, but I want to. You forget I was raised a Southern girl and my manners are ingrained so deep nothing will change them."

"Well then, I will help you," Eric said as he turned the faucet on and began rinsing the plate. He wasn't very good at this whole cleaning thing but I admired that he was trying.

"Here," I took the rinsed plate and stuck it into an empty, probably never used, dishwasher.

As I leaned over to the dishwasher, Eric placed his hands firmly on both sides of my hips and pulled me into him. The thin fabric of the robe was leaving little to his imagination, or mine for that matter. I sucked in a breath and wondered how long I could continue this marathon sex with my Viking while somehow continuing to walk. However, right now I didn't care; I already felt the fire beginning to build inside me.

I lifted the dishwasher door up and listened for the click to tell me it was closed. Once it was closed, I turned on my heel and wrapped my arms around his neck and began kissing his bare chest.

Between kisses on his rock hard chest, I whispered, "Eric can we take a shower? I want to wash the chlorine off of me."

"As you wish, Lover."

And with that, I was in his arms and upstairs in the blink of an eye. We were in his spacious bathroom and he was reaching into the shower to turn the water on. Still in his arms, I kissed him tenderly and wove his golden hair in my fingers.

Steam had begun to roll out of the shower. He set me down so that my feet rested on the floor and I slowly removed my robe while he looked at me lustfully. I took his hand and pulled him into the shower with me. His shower was big and there were multiple shower heads so unlike most showers, two people didn't have to fight for a little water. I could tell it was something he had custom designed; my Viking didn't have to bend down to get his hair wet. He was able to stand straight under one of the shower heads and I buzzed all over at the vision of the water running down his long, marble body.

"Eric, why have you wanted me for so long?"

"Why have you wanted me for so long, but resisted?"

"I asked you first." I squeezed his fantastic butt playfully.

"Well, when you first walked into Fangtasia, I knew you had to be mine. I wanted to drink from you and of course, I wanted to take you away from Compton, now your turn " Eric murmured this while running his nose up and down my neck driving me practically crazy.

I had gotten the soap and was working to lather it onto Eric's body and I considered what he said and how I could possibly answer, "Hmmm…I resisted because it seemed like you wanted to control me and I don't want to be controlled. Why did you want to take me from Bill? I mean, didn't he come after me at Sophie-Anne's request?"

"I understand you want to own your life, but I think you _like_ being controlled sometimes," he said while proving his point by forcing me against the tile wall, "Yes, originally he did come on an order from the Queen, but he was bewitched by you and because of that, I knew there was something special about you. You have seen what a rarity it is for a vampire to become so attached to a human."

I had soaped the front of his torso, his arms, shoulders, and while he had me against the tile, I was able to duck around him to work on his back and I couldn't help giggle at the fact that he'd let me out of his grasp for a moment. He stood with his head leaned back in the water. He allowed me to do what I wanted and I asked, "So…do you still just want to taste me?" I was playing with him a little, but it was a question I needed to know.

He turned and looked down into my eyes in one sweeping move. He reached up to lovingly touch my jaw line and murmured to me, "Oh…I still want to taste you, but that is not all I wish to have of you."

I had suddenly grown unconcerned about cleanliness. I was lost looking into his amazing blue eyes and my thought began rolling off my tongue, "What else do you…wish to have of me?"

"Sookie, I cannot think of a single part of you that I do not wish to possess," Eric pushed my back against the cold tile of the shower and pressed his lips to mine. The passion began to heat up as our tongues fought for dominance and I moaned into him.

Eric had taken the soap and was making slow, soapy circles around my breasts. As he leaned down to work his way to my belly, he ran his tongue over my nipples and I gripped his hair for dear life.

He moved his hungry lips down and trailed warm kisses from my hip to my heated center. When he got there, he hovered and I felt his unnecessary breathing on my skin. I was tingling all over in anticipation and Eric only needed to brush his nose lightly against me to force a whimper from my lips as I pushed his head down urging him on.

Without thinking, I lifted my leg, placing my foot on the seat in the shower, giving him full access to my heated and wet sex. Eric didn't make me wait any longer, he kissed my sex fully and every single muscle I had contracted.

My hips began to buck towards his mouth with a mind of their own as I leaned my head back in bliss and panted as my orgasm began to rattle my teeth.

"Oh my god! Shepherd of Judea! Eric, that feels so good!"

He looked up at me and smiled his million dollar, crooked smile, all the while still kissing me and sucking tenderly on my humming center.

He stood up and reached over to turn the water off. I didn't know if I could move the leg I had so hastily hiked up for him to have the best access to my most private of parts. He read my mind and gently lifted my calf off the seat and my foot found its way to the floor.

As we dried one another off, I asked Eric another question that was pressing on my mind, "Am I more attractive to you because of my fae blood?"

"Well, I think that does make your blood especially delectable to me. But that is just how your blood tastes; there are so many things I adore about you: your heart, your strength, your fearlessness. You are loyal and honest. You are relentless when it comes to protecting those close to you. Your body, your mouth, the way your skin has that sun-kissed glow."

"Eric, take me to your bed now."

He grinned and kissed me tenderly, murmurring into my lips, "As you wish, Lover."

He led me to the bed and paused there to look in my eyes; I pushed him down on the bed forcefully, with as much force as you can push a man made of stone, signaling just how much I wanted this. He allowed me to force him onto his back across the bed and I peppered him with kisses beginning at his feet. I worked my lips up to his knees, lifting each knee up and trailing my tongue around the backside of each of his knees.

I could hear soft sounds of pleasure escape from his lips and knew he was enjoying this. I worked my way up both of his thighs and used my tongue to outline those imaginary lines that connected his legs and hips together, both sides ending at his ever so gracious plenty.

As selfish as it may sound, I needed to have him again before dawn and although I should've probably returned the favor he'd granted me in the shower, I took him into my mouth only briefly and sucked lightly, stroking with my hand as I released him.

I trailed my kisses along this lower abdomen and gently bit him around his navel, still slowly crawling up him while attending to ever place my tongue could reach. I reached my hands out and grasped for his, lacing our fingers together as I kissed his hard chest and nuzzled his neck.

I straddled his hips had positioned him at my entrance. I began to rock the tiniest bit back and forth to let him anticipate filling me. I leaned down and kissed his ear, his lips, his eyes. He whispered my name as his desire overtook him. I smiled just hearing the syllables roll off his tongue and could wait no longer. In moves that seemed orchestrated, I pushed down on his hard member and took him as I also bit his lip hard enough to bring blood.

He moaned in ecstasy and his hips pushed upwards to reach into my depths and I sucked on his lips swallowing his thick, succulent blood into me. I knew he loved it when I drank from him. It was a very erotic thing to a vampire.

We began moving into each other with a frenzied pace that I knew couldn't go on for long. I knew I would be spent after this and I wanted him to go to sleep in as much bliss as I felt. He had drank from me twice already tonight and I would be weakened from it tomorrow but I wanted to give him everything I had fought against at this moment. I wanted him to feel me finally yielding to him.

I pulled my mouth from his and hungrily licked in the remaining drops of blood still on my lips. His lips were blood stained and just looking at him was pushing me to my release. He grabbed me by the back of my neck and pulled my lips back to his and this time, he bit. He began sucking on my lower lip and I came undone at the seams. With a final thrust, I felt him fill me and we held one another tightly as our release rocked our bodies. I fell forward on his chest, and he embrace me as the aftershocks rippled through us.

I sighed with the expected bliss I knew would come after a night of earth-moving sex I was used to with Eric. He licked the last traces of blood off my lips and sighed in contentment. I loved that even though he didn't need to breath, he maintained these small human nuances.

"It's almost dawn Eric, you need to sleep."

"It is true, will you sleep with me?"

"Well…of course I will. I won't disturb you will I? I mean, Bill always went underground to sleep. He would never let me sleep with him."

"That was Bill's refusal to catch up with modern amenities. He holds so tightly to the way things were in his human life. We have many conveniences now where we can afford the luxury of sleeping in a bad instead of the dirt or a cramped coffin."

It stung a little to hear this but I thought it was in poor taste to pine over a former lover while I was enjoying a little post-coital conversation with my current lover, so I pushed this thought out of my mind.

"I would love to sleep next to you Eric. As a matter of fact, I don't think anything could make me happier."

"I am glad you feel the same was as I do. I know you will wake before me so, feel free to sunbathe by the pool. You will stay tonight again, won't you?"

"Yes. I don't want to be anywhere but near you right now."

"Have I given you enough answers tonight? Are you sufficiently pleased with our date this evening?"

"Yes, Eric. I'm sure I will think of other things to ask, but you have really gone all out tonight for me. I recognize all that you did. I love it."

"And me? Do you love me?"

"I have love for you Eric. I don't know if that is what you want me to say, but it's the best I can do right now."

"And I have love for you, Sookie. Let's sleep. Come, let me hold you, Lover."

I curled up in the spot under Eric's arm that seemed to have been created just for me. I didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but I knew that I would sleep blissfully in his arms."

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Next chapter:** So what happens next? You know these two will not have a happily ever after without some sort of drama! Do you think Bill has really allowed Eric to have Sookie? What about Bill? I think all a person needs to finally move on is a little…distraction. Who should we send in to distract poor old curmudgeon Bill?

Thanks again for all reviews and messages! Reviews are like slippery, wet Vikings, send 'em, share 'em, love 'em!


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